His Living Angel
by DoesItOffendYou
Summary: He is gone and now i must live." Sadie Zelper is unwanted by her parents, pititied by her sister, and the only person to ever love her is now six feet under. How does she survive in Castle Rock when her entire life seemed to die six months prior.
1. Missing Him

******Disclaimer: If I really wrote The Body or had anything to do with Stand By Me would I really honestly and truly be writing on for FanFiction??? Enjoy! ^-^******

**Chapter Song:::: Who You'd Be Today—Kenny Chesney**

The sky. I will always remember that clear Oregon sky. No clouds. Just blue, a perfect azure. The sun was beaming heavily on this lovely September morn. Most would see it as perfect. I saw it as another day without him. Six months tomorrow and everyday stung as much as the first. His name was always on the tip of my tongue but I was directed not to speak of him. Oh I longed to talk of him, to laugh and cry about him, just to be with him again. But no. From the day we stuck him six feet under I no longer had him. Pictures were taken. Old stories were snatched. All memorabilia had been robbed and stuck high on a shelf, to be forgotten. I looked down at the box in my hands and then to the pretty house I would now live in.

My sister and her new husband standing on the front porch. They were smiling. They were so…beautiful. My sister with her wavy blond locks and him with his studly dimples. They were not only beautiful but kind. People I would never be.

"Come on, honey." Sylvia urged, crossing her arms and smiling some more.

"We don't bite." Mark laughed. I looked to the sky and nearly saw his face grinning down at me from the clouds above. I smiled faintly and walked into the house. Their house. My house.

That night we sat at the dinner table eating Sylvia's delectable chicken and mashed potatoes. She always was the cook in my family. I sat silently as they bantered on about meaningless things. Simple married couple's jargon I didn't give much a shit about.

"So Sadie." Mark began. "How do you like your room?" I thought about the upstairs room. All the walls were white. So was my new dresser and bed. All of _my _furniture was at my parents. I only brought clothes. I was only allowed to bring clothes.

"I like it." I mumbled, taking another bite of carrots.

"We can paint it later on down the road if you want."

"Yes. Any color you want!" Sylvia pitched in, trying to sound cheerful. Just for them I plastered on that all too known fake smile and acted cheerful.

"That would be great. Thank you so much for letting me stay here." Sylvia's smile faded as did Mark's.

"It's not a problem. As long as your okay." She placed her hand over mine with that look in her baby blue eyes that cried 'please don't talk about it'.

"And I am. So when does school start here?"

"It did three weeks ago. I have your schedule and everything on my desk upstairs." She smiled again.

"That's wonderful, Sylv. You know, I think I am going to go for a walk. Get to know the town. Dinner was great." I stood, leaving my nearly full plate on the table.

As I walked down the hill into town small kids ran barefoot freely. Still refusing their mother's please for shoes. Up in Philly that never happened. Old men sat on front porches and not inside with their Old Western's. In town teenagers idly hung around outside of shops, just talking. I felt a chill run down my side and I could nearly feel him standing next to me. I sighed and shoved my hands into my jeans pockets. I noticed right off that no girls here wore jeans. I kept walking until I walked right out of town and to an old field where I saw a tree house.

Walking towards it I couldn't hear any noise coming from it.

"Must be abandoned." I muttered, thankful for a hiding place and not thinking that the old thing could hold anyone or that anyone would be up there anyways. Climbing up the rickety ladder I pressed on the slat of wood covering the entrance. It wouldn't open so instead of leaving like a normal girl, I pressed harder. Not a minute later I heard something crash from inside and the wood lifted up, revealing a teenage boy looking slightly bored and slightly ticked. His hair looked like it was having an identity crisis, half blond and half dark brown. He dawned thick glasses and had worn looking dog tags around his neck and one of his ears was warped and melted, looking like one of my Barbie Doll's after a very eventful 4th of July. He was slouched in the corner smoking a cigarette and looking out the window. The crate that must have been holding down the wood slat was toppled over like he kicked it in order to free the entry way.

"Vern, piss off."

"Would you like me to relay that message to this Vern person?" I asked with a comical tone.

"Who the fuck are you?" he inquired, swiveling his body towards me and staring at me.

"Sadie. Never seen a girl before?" I was still only half in the tree house, in case I was demanded to leave.

"I've seen lots of girls." He replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "Just not _you_ girl."

"Well that's to be expected seeing as I just got here not ten hours ago." Now he seemed interested.

"Are you gonna stay there all day like a retard or are you coming up?"

"Well I got nothing better to do."

"So who are you?" he asked, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"Sadie Zelper." I sat on a crate and watched his face turn in to astonishment.

"Zelper? As in Miss Sylvia Zelper, the sexy English teacher Zelper?"

"Yeah. She's my sister."

"You don't look anything like her." He commented.

"I'm well aware of this fact. I got the shit filled end of the gene pool."

"What grade you in?"

"10th."

"Well well. Looks like I might have to get to know your ugly freckle faced mug."

"Fuck off ya four eyed freak."

"That the best you got?"

"Any other slurs I got aren't yet legal in this pussy state." He eyed me carefully, judging me closely. He stuck out his right hand and smirked.

"Teddy Duchamp."

"Ha!" I exclaimed. "You're that lowlife Duchamp my sister always rants about. Uhhh. I mean hello." He laughed oddly, like a hyena fucking pelican.

It wasn't too long after I got up there that I heard an oddly organized knock on the entry way.

"Enter." Teddy called out.

"Hey man." I looked at the boy entering through the floor boards. His hair was short and brown and his eyes blue and expressive. He was tall and well built, I could tell as he wore only a see through white t-shirt and jeans.

"Hey, Chris." After Chris came a lanky, gawky looking boy with shaggy brown hair and eyes that resembled a fawns. He had a soft spoken face with a wise look in his doe eyes, like he had seen and heard too much. "Hey Gord." By this time I was hunched in a corner in order to make room for the other two teenage boys. I had forgotten how much space and oxygen boys took up.

"Who's the girl?" Chris asked looking me up and down with curiosity.

"Get this. She is Miss Zelper's," he paused for an unneeded dramatic pause. ",sister!"

"Your shitting me." Gordie laughed looking at me.

"Nah."

"I don't look like much but yes in fact I did at one point share a bedroom with Sylvia. Amazing I know."

"I'm Chris Chambers. This here is Gordie LaChance."

"Sadie Zelper. Hey why do you guys still use her maiden name? You know she got married three months ago right?"

"It's a fact every man in Castle Rock chooses to ignore." Teddy explained with a sigh. I laughed at the fallen expressions of all three boys.

"It's also a lot better than Leech." Gordie pointed out, cringing at Mark's last name for reasons unknown to me.

"Yeah." Chris mumbled, ready for a subject change. "Where ya from?"

"Philadelphia. Mom and Dad…sent…me down here for, uh, a little bit." I didn't know how to explain why my parents set me miles away from home to live with my estranged sister to strangers yet.

"Cool." He was now dealing out cards and the conversation was over. "Bullshit. In or out?" he asked me.

"In." I smiled. Little did they know I was the B.S. champion. I stayed until the sky began to darken when I figured I had better go to the house.

"Gotta go." I had already lifted the crate off the slat and had started to descend down the ladder when I heard boys voices reject.

"You can't go alone. Little girl like you is gonna get killed." Teddy taunted.

"I take that offensively." I stepped down another rung.

"We'll walk you home. Dad's gotta be gone by now anyways." He mumbled the last part and dropped through the floor. I jumped off the ladder and saw Gordie leap down, also without the use of a ladder. I had started to walk away with Chris and Gordie on either side of me when I heard Teddy.

"Turanimo!!!" he bellowed, causing us all to turn around. We were just in time to witness him flying out of the window and landing on the ground, mostly unharmed. I looked to the faces of Chris and Gordie who where un-phased. Teddy sauntered towards us like he hadn't just jumped out of a tree house window like a flaming idiot. He stood beside me and smiled down at me. I only came up to his chest. I hadn't realized how freaky tall he was in the tree house. Then I looked to Chris and Gordie. They were both taller than me too. Maybe I was just freaky short…

"Ready?" Teddy asked, wiping the dirt off his shirt. I nodded and with three boys, I walked into my new life, still not ready to forget my boy above.

******How did ya like it??? Hope lots. PLEASE REVEIEW!!!!*****


	2. School? Do i have too?

******Thanks Owl Lover for the first review!!!! I am glad you like it. I still only wish I owned The Body and Stand By Me. So enjoy chapter numero dos! Oh and sorry if anyone out there has the last name Leech…no offense meant. ******

**Chapter Song:::AKA Public School—Audio Adrenaline **

******SADIE******

"Sadie? Sadie, honey it's time for school." Sylvia rapped lightly on my door and her melodic voice awoke me. I buried my face deeper in the white cotton pillow and groaned for her to leave me alone. She entered my room and sat on the edge of the bed despite my groans and moans. "Come on. It's your first day. You don't want to be late." I opened my eyes and saw her all dressed and ready in her brown pants suit. Her hair was swept onto her head with a butterfly clip and her make-up was applied perfectly.

"If you leave I will get up."

"Same stubborn, Sadie." She kissed my forehead and left. Rising like the living dead from the warm, comfy, bed I looked in my vanity mirror. The girl looking back at me, she didn't look like me.

She had short rust colored hair, cut in disarray. Her eyes a muddy lake green. The tips of the girl's ears were slightly pointed and her face held triangular features. High cheek bones, a tilted nose, and narrowed cat eyes. Small freckles covered her face, giving her the illusion of always being covered in dirt. This girl staring back at me in the mirror used to be me but she didn't feel like me. I looked away from the mystery girl and continued getting dressed, the entire time avoiding the girl in the glass.

******TEDDY******

The alarm clock screamed at me to get up, honestly some days it felt like my mother and the clock were in competition.

"Theodore! Get your ass out of bed!" she pounded on my door and I literally rolled out of bed.

"Yeah, yeah." I mumbled from the floor. I was still wearing yesterday's jeans but now I was without a shirt. Looking around the room I grabbed the first shirt and held it to my nose.

"Oh. My. Fucking. God." I gasped, throwing it back on the ground. I pulled a black shirt off the ground this time and slipped into it, believing the smell to be better than the hamster carcass I just got a whiff of. I descended the creaky stairs and found my mother sipping coffee at the kitchen table.

"Morning, ma." I muttered sitting down across from her with a bowl of Cheerio's and chocolate syrup.

"Hi, hun." Her eyes were bleak and had dark circles under them. Once upon a fairy tale my mom had been awfully attractive, but now looking at her frumpy disposition one couldn't tell she was ever even pretty.

"Another day."

"Yeah." I chased the last soggy loop around my bowl and guzzled the left over chocolate milk. Standing I saw my mom look away from me. She never looked at me anymore. Not since dad committed suicide eighteen months back up in Togus. Guess something just made him…crack.

"Love you, son." She mumbled, her voice seeping with depression.

"Yeah." I left and slammed the door behind me.

Outside Vern was sitting on the front porch. He looked like a kicked dog and before he could bumble out an awkward apology I pulled him up by the back of his collar and walked on.

"Come on ya retard." He smiled and we walked to pick up Chris.

"Thanks man. I'm sorry, sincerely."

"Shut up. I don't even remember what you did."

"Well I said-" he tried to relive the conversation after I saved him from my wrath. Idiot.

"Shut up, Vern."

"Yeah. So, how's your project for woodshop coming?"

"We had a project for woodshop?" I asked, half honestly, half wryly.

"Yeah. It's due on Thursday." He looked amazed that I had forgotten, though I had done very few projects or assignments in school ever.

"Yeah. I'll get right on that." I laughed sarcastically.

******CHRIS******

I took a long drag of my morning smoke and saw Teddy and Vern ambling towards me. Vern no longer had his childhood pudge, but he was still the shortest of us. His hair had grown out a bit and he defiantly looked older, but somehow he hadn't changed in four years.

"You ready?" Teddy drawled lazily.

"Yeah." I put out my cigarette and together we walked to another day of florescent hell.

It wasn't long before I spotted her. She was struggling with her locker and beginning to kick it.

"What is she doing?" Gordie asked coming up to me. Ever since we entered high school his dad began driving him to school in order to make sure he went and didn't ditch with us other delinquents, even though none of us had ever done so.

"Beating the hell out of a metal door." We began to walk towards her and found her cursing at the blue locker door.

"Fine, you fucking whore. Be that way! I never liked you anyways." She was growling to herself.

"Same to you!" Gordie said with a false pained look on his face.

"Oh sorry. I can't open the damn thing."

"We noticed." I laughed. "What's your combo?"

"18-20-19." I spun it and lifted it right open.

"There ya go."

"Thanks." She shoved her school supplies in her locker and stood up. She smiled at me and tightened her hair. Her reddish brown hair was put into tiny pigtails and her bangs were falling into her eyes. I just noticed how pixyish she appeared. "What class you guys got first?"

"I got math." Gordie groaned, hating Mrs. Opalton with every fiber of his begin.

"I have English." I bragged smugly.

"Same." She looked at her schedule and rolled her murky olive eyes. "Yay. I will never be able to escape my sister."

"She isn't that bad. Not even going to act like your sister. Work is different from home."

"Sure." She mumbled "Bye, Gordie."

"I hope I'll live." He responded.

"Drama queen." I muttered walking away with Sadie.

"Good morning class." Mrs. Zelper greeted us with her sappy sweet voice and I looked to Sadie who was rolling her eyes. "How are you guys?" we responded with the general 'good' or 'okay' and Robert did his every morning 'kill me now' routine. At one point it got attention from Mrs. Zelper and laughs from us but now it was just a bore and expected. She jumped into the lesson with her usual jokes, banter, and simple way of explaining things. There was a reason she was everybody's favorite, besides her killer rack and perfect ass. She was relaxed in the class room and acted like she wanted to be there with us. She tried to help us and as always pushing us. Mrs. Zelper honestly kicked a lot of teacher ass.

_How ya holding up? _I scribbled to Sadie.

_I am having play room flash backs. _She scribed back quickly.

_????_

_When we were little she always tried to teach me. Let's just say all a three year old wants is to play with the colors and all the ten year old wants is someone to obey her. _I chuckled at the words sprawled across the page in her chicken scratch writing.

_Ahh. _

_Is it nearly over??????_

_Yeah. Like three minutes._

The bell rang and we were gone before the third chime of the horrid bell.

It turns out that I had her in five classes and Gordie was in two of those five. School was just getting good. All day I watched her roam the halls looking lost and making friends. All the guys looked at her with curiosity and the bitchy girls were already coming up with new rumors for the new girl, just another day in Castle Rock High.

Come the end of the day I knew that Sadie was a Leo, scared of spiders, and hated math class. I also knew her freckles showed more when she smiled which wasn't often. She was pretty when she smiled. I knew that too. I had learned more in school that day than I had in the last two weeks and it all seemed more important than trigonometry or how to use a proper noun.

******Hey-loz!!!! Hope you liked it. Please review or favorite or SOMETHING!!! I am going off to camp for a week and when I get back I will want to see what you think of my story so far. Love you! :hug!:******


	3. The Echoing Words

******I'm back and still own NOTHING! Camp was long and after five dragging days in Missouri heat I am thrilled to be back at a computer. Enjoy this chapter!!!******

**CHAPTER SONG::: I don't have one!!!! Maybe next time. Let me know if you have an idea.**

******SADIE******

I stumbled to my locker and kicked it open. Crouched on the ground I tried my damndest not to be kicked by the shuffling feet of two hundred teenagers eager to leave the building.

"Hey, Sa." I heard Chris's voice echo above me. I stood and slung my backpack around.

"Hi." I mumbled grumpily. Gordie ambled up next to Chris and greeted me casually.

"What's wrong?" He inquired with concern in his voice.

"School is school no matter where you attend." I half laughed. "And that." I pointed to my sister who was strolled up to me.

"Hi Chris. Hi Gordie." She shifted her gaze to me and a small smile lit her face. "Hello Sadie. How was your first day?"

"Fine."

"Good, I'm glad. I am going to be home late tonight with meetings. I'm sure that Mark can manage something for the two of you though."

"I'll be just fine."

"I know you have homework so I would like you home by seven to work on it."

"Alright." Her face changed as she realized she would get no reaction from my monotone voice.

"Good." She forced a smile one last time and walked off; the sound of her high heels slamming on the tiles reverberated throughout the now empty hall.

"What was that?" Gordie asked almost the minute she was out of ear shot.

"Sibling tension. Out of the four of us Zelper kids, her and I were never the closest." I descended the stairs and left the building with a breath of afternoon freedom.

"There are four of you?" Chris asked, not hiding the fact that he was wondering if I had any other sisters.

"No. Well, yes. But no. Hey, Teddy." I greeted Teddy as he leaned against the building smoking.

"Hey."

"Where's Vern?" Chris asked looking around for the fourth boy I had yet to meet.

"Had to go home. Whined something about Billy kicking his ass for something or other."

"Ah." No one really seemed to mind Vern's absence and the conversations continued.

We were now ambling through town talking of school, the past summer, Chris's upcoming birthday, and a surplus of other silence fillers. As we walked down Third Street I looked into an alley and out of the corner of my eye I saw two boys leaning against the dumpster with a long haired blond girl. The taller boy wore an irritated scowl on his face and had a shock of tousled blond hair. The other boy had curly brown hair and a twitchy right eye. When I walked by the alley I could feel Gordie, Chris, and even Teddy tense up.

Angry nudged Twitchy and nodded in my direction. They glowered down at me and the blond girl spun around and stared at me with distant blue eyes. Twitchy began to step forward but Blondie stopped him and whispered something to Angry. I looked at them and heard the man's voice in my head.

_  
"He's going to die and you're going be here to watch us kill him, girlie." _ I shuddered, looked at the ground, and kept shuffling forward. A few feet away I looked up at the faces of my companions to see them empty and blank.

"Who were they?" I asked Gordie.

"People you need to avoid like the plague." I rolled my eyes and looked to Chris.

"Who the hell are they?"

"No one." He said simply, pulling a flyer off a light pole.

"Teddy. Who the fucking hell are those freaks!"

"Damn. Such language." He laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "Those 'freaks' are our own daily dosing of hell."

"So melodramatic."

"They are two of the Cobras. Castle Rock's very own gang of thugs. Four years ago we kinda pissed in their Cheerios and ever since they have been out to get us…ten times worse than they used to. Now they have reason and motive for our heads."

"What did ya do?" We walked out of town and towards the woods where we stopped in a clearing in front of a lake. As soon as the question left my mouth I had a feeling a long story went along with the answer. Gordie and Chris looked at each other and Teddy got a faraway look in his eyes. I sat down under a tree and silently the boys joined me on the ground.

"Oh hey guys!" The trance seemed to crack as a boy I assumed to be Vern broke into the woods. "I thought I would find you here. If you're not here or in the tree house your at the diner." He babbled on and then his roaming eyes landed on me. "Who's the broad?"

"Sadie." I mentioned my name before any of the others could introduce me as 'the English teacher's sister'.

"Oh! So you're the chick Teddy won't shut up about." I looked to Teddy who calmly chucked a rock at Vern's head. "Ouch! Teddy, you're trying to kill me!"

"Maybe." He said nonchalantly. He picked the flyer Chris grabbed off the ground and his face lit up with a toothy grin. "Guys! The festival is in two weeks!"

"No, Teddy." Gordie said, with a panicked look on his face.

"Come on!"

"Do you remember last time? Or did that concussion you got erase it from your memory?"

"That won't happen this time! Promise!" he was now standing up and getting heated about this festival. "Vern! You believe me, right?"

"Not a chance in hell, man!"

"Chambers?"

"Shit no. Life is getting tolerable and I don't have a death wish." Teddy sat down and sulked giving up the fight.

"What happened?" I asked as I looked the flyer over. The festival actually looked kinda fun.

"Last year Teddy refused to wear his seat belt on the scrambler and he flew out, cracking his head. He got in a fist fight with a Carney. The he broke three funhouse mirrors!" Vern explained in an overly theatrical way.

"Those mirrors were an accident!" Teddy defended himself.

"What happened? Did they crack when they saw your face?" Chris, Gordie, and Vern cracked up and Teddy shot me a dirty look.

"Bitch."

"Jack-ass."

"Go screw."

"You wish it was you under me." I said with a smirk on my face. If there was one thing my brother had taught me it was how to win.

"You like being on top?" he asked slyly, coming towards me. I didn't shy away as he got closer like other girls would have.

"Heads up. I kick." I lifted my Converse clad sneaker, poised and ready. He stopped in his tracks.

"Un-cool."

"Never said I was cool." I ignored his next attempt to engage in verbal combat and pulled to my homework. "Chris, did you get number twenty-five?"

"Yeah." He leaned over and took my pencil. "X equals seventeen."

"What? How?" my face contorted into confusion. He laughed and showed me the problem step by step.

"Get it?"

"Yes! Holy shit, I get it!"

"Then do twenty-seven on your own." He chuckled. I looked down at the book and everything I might have known evaporated like a puddle on a hot day.

"Thirteen?"

"Not even closer." I groaned and looked to Gordie who had his nose in his social studies book.

"These geeks are boring. Come on Verno." Teddy stood and left the woods up the path with a reluctant Vern.

The three of us stayed studying until six fifty when I looked at my watch and then to the world around me. The sky had gone from cobalt to goldenrod and locusts were beginning to sound.

"I have to go." I mumbled stuffing my books inside my bag and standing to leave.

"Yeah me too. I'm late for dinner." Gordie added, dashing up the path ahead of Chris and me.

"Here." He gave me his hand and helped me up the steep path. Going up proved to be far more difficult than coming down.

"Thanks." I brushed my hair out of my eyes and together we walked out of the forest and back to reality. "Where do you live?"

"Near Tyler Street. Why?"

"Because it looks like you are trying to walk me to the house."

"How does where I live matter with walking you home?"

"It's way out of your way and I don't require to be walked home. We live on opposite sides of towns and you won't be home till eight if you walk me home."

"You're point being?"

"I can get along by myself. Go home and study for the Social Studies test tomorrow." His eyes narrowed and I could see he was about to fight back. "Please? I'll be fine."

"Alright. But if anything happens to you, you are getting a big 'I told ya so' tomorrow."

"Deal." He took my hand and squeezed it.

"Be safe, Sadie."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I turned and walked away with Chris on my brain.

I had only walked a couple blocks when I heard footsteps behind me. I was on a back road short cut Teddy had shown me the first time the boys walked me home.

"Chris? Are you following me?" I spun around and was face to face with the blond boy from the alley.

"Hmmm, Chris. Are you two like a thing now?" his eyes were terrifying and his voice was cruel.

"Oh, hello. I don't believe we have met."

"No. I don't believe we have. I'm Ace." His voice was nearly a growl and he looked me up and down.

"Ah yes. A Gardner Snake or something." I turned to leave and I felt his wide hand on my shoulder.

"Were not done here, Sadie."

"How do you know my name?" It took every inch of my being to keep my voice steady.

"A little birdie told me." He leaned into my face. "You're kinda cute. Why you hanging around with shit like those boys."

"They're not shit, Ace. Now if you will excuse me." I tried to escape for a second time and his hands gripped my shoulders tight.

"_He's going to die and you're going be here to watch us kill him, girlie." _ The man's horrific voice rang in my skull as Ace gripped my arms.

"Let go." He leaned down and breathed in my ear.

"Or what?" I looked around for somebody. Anybody. He shoved me to the ground and glared down at me. I closed my eyes and saw Steven smiling at me. I was about to see him again, just way to soon and not the way I wanted to.

******Ooooooo cliff hanger! Review and I will write more! Ooooo bribery! I own nothing except for Sadie, Mark, Sylvia, and Reggie and Steven who are about to make an appearance.******


	4. Night For Ass Kickings

******Don't own anything so I'm just going to get to it.******

**Chapter Song::: Girl Next Door—Saving Jane for Sadie and for Chris the song is Pieces—Sum 41**

******SADIE******

I was screwed.

"Fresh meat." He snarled. "Pretty little thing like you shouldn't be hanging around with shit like them." I hadn't gotten off the ground and he was coming towards me. He flicked open his switch blade and grinned as I tried to crab crawl away.

"What the fuck, man!" I tried to scramble to my feet but he kicked me back down.

"Oh now you're making things difficult." He stepped forward with his knife pointed at my neck.

"Ace!" I looked around for the new voice and saw the blond girl from earlier.

"Regina, go away." He snarled. The girl called Regina stepped in front of Ace and I.

"Zachary." She growled. "Leave. The. Girl. Alone." He held the knife to her throat but she didn't even blink.

"Why I oughta."

"Do it." She challenged. "I. Dare. You." He lifted his hand to smack her and she held his wrist. "Go home, Acie. Torment someone else. Just go." She placed her hands firmly on his chest and pushed the large boy away. He scowled and walked away with his head still hung high. I heard the girl sigh as she turned to me.

"You okay, honey?" she helped me up.

"Just fine." I let my voice shake for the first time and I looked down at my arms. They were red and I could see bruises beginning to form in the shape of his fingers. My side ached from where he had kicked me and I was sure I had pissed myself.

"He doesn't mean any harm really. Just likes to feel all big and bad. It's a complex honestly."

"I bet." I looked at her and was stunned. She was not only beautiful but she was _gorgeous. _She was clad in a white mini skirt with white sneakers and a tight fitting purple shirt. Her waist long platinum hair laid flat against her back and her eyes were as large and blue was the Oregon sky. She had the perfect curves painted with the perfect complexion. Automatically I was envious of her as I looked down at my own child like body.

"I'm Reggie."

"Sadie."

"I know. We have math and science together." We were walking out of the road and up to my house. It was only seven oh three but it felt so much later.

"So his name is Zachary?" I asked sitting down on the front stoop.

"Yeah. Little known fact and I'd like to keep it that way. The name Ace comes from his unbelievable luck at gambling." She laughed. "It makes him seem less scary. I'm really sorry. My boyfriend can be a real dick sometimes."

"Boyfriend?" I was astonished that anyone would touch that Neanderthal with a ten foot pole.

"Yeah." She said it as though it was an obvious fact and I should have known. "Recently I have had to keep him on a pretty short leash. I met up with him a couple years ago and it just kinda…works. He isn't so bad, sincerely! You just gotta get to know him really well. Like really_ really _well and even then he can still be an asshole. I have a thing for the bad boys I guess. I've always liked a challenge. That and he's a great kisser." She shrugged and sat down beside me.

"Interesting." I mumbled, not really caring.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I will be." I blew my bangs out of my face and looked to Reggie.

"He shouldn't be messing with you anymore. I'll keep him at bay. Or try to. Even the great Regina Barks can't work miracles." We shared a laugh and then an uncomfortable silence.

"Thanks." My voice was small and meek and nearly inaudible to human hears. I hated it when I was a little pansy girl.

"It's what I do." She stood up and twirled to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow Sadie."

"Bye." I took a deep breath and went inside the house with Steven on my mind, the biggest taboo of them all.

******CHRIS******

I ambled home, kicking cans on the side of the road. It was seven and dad would be home opening his seventh or twelfth beer, depending on the nights drinking speed. I chased dad out of my mind and filled my thoughts with Sadie. She smiled three times today, four if you count the malevolence smirk she gave Teddy, and two of those smiles were for me.

I didn't know why she was so sad but for some reason I knew it had something to do with the golden locket she wore around her neck. She played with it often, twirling it in her petite fingers all day. She was so small, but damn that mouth on her. She was like a firecracker with a twisted fuse; you never knew when she was going to go off. I smiled thinking of the afternoon.

"Boy!" my father's drunken bellow broke my thoughts. Tossing my backpack at the door I groaned.

"Yeah."

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Places." He tried to throw a punch but I evaded it and waited for the next one.

"You little son of a whore!" he swung again, this time snagging my right cheek bone with a sharp blow. I stumbled backwards and he had begun. He was screaming curses and pushing me until I fell on the floor where he began to kick me. I rolled over to protect my vital organs, crossed my legs to protect my manhood, and covered my head with my arms to protect what little brains I had.

I felt each blow with agonizing pain and kept my mouth pursed shut, though I want to cry out my torment with all my voice. I knew if I screamed it would get worse. I saw Eyeball come the trough the front door and look at me. He didn't stop dad. He didn't help me. He just left the house again figuring it was a bad time.

They say that blood is thicker than water but I know for a fact that if Gordie or Teddy or hell even Vern would have walked through that door, Dad would have been on the floor in a heartbeat. I was used to my brother abandoning me and I was also used to the feeling of a steel toed boot in between my ribs.

Soon enough dad ran out of beer or just got bored with me. I played dead for a minute to make sure he was gone, then like the pansy I was I crawled to my closet of a bedroom and ducked into bed. Nothing was on my mind except for the blood trickling from my ear and the sharp pain in my wrist.

It was nights like those that made me regret my own birth.

******Please review! Also I am sorry about the horrible editing job last chapter, I was in a rush and didn't take my time. See you next chapter.******


	5. VERY IMPORTANT AUTHORS NOTE

**Okay so I need you to be thinking of whom you want Sadie to fall for. Teddy or Chris. This really does matter because each love story has its own plot. When you come to a decision please vote on the poll on my profile page or leave a review with your vote.**


	6. Festival Fun With Teddy

******Hey!!!! I own EVERYTHING!!!! Woohoo! Lol JK I own nothing…only the OCs ENJOY!!!!******

**Chapter Song::: Holy Water –Big and Rich**

******TEDDY******

"Hey Teddy." Her pixie like presence intruded my mind. I turned around to see Sadie and her new 'best friend' Reggie smiling up at me.

"Hey, Shorty and Shorty's hot friend." It was now the end of September and it had been two weeks since her little run in with Ace. The bruises were faded and she could now sneeze without crippling pain in her side.

"Teddy. I have a name." Reggie groaned, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but hot fried is so much more appealing."

"Oh that was a big word. Been sitting in on the third graders vocabulary lessons?"

"Shut up you two. One afternoon! All I ask is one afternoon where you two get along!" Sadie threw her arms dramatically up in the air and Reggie laughed.

"So the festival is tonight." She said casually a few moments later.

"You going with Ace?" Sadie asked as we walked down Main Street watching people set up for the festival.

"Hell no! He was ordered to stay 100 feet away from the festival at any given point. So we will probably drive around in his car before parking up on the hill."

"Fun." Sadie said with much sarcasm. "What about you Teddy?"

"I might show. But I have to go alone as no one trusts me at public events anymore."

"That and Vern and Gordie have dates and Chris doesn't even want to go."

"I still can't believe that Vern somehow snagged Rockin' Rita."

"Do you have any nick names for people that aren't slightly offensive?"

"Shut up Hot Friend."

"Be nice, Teddy. Vern is a sweet guy, any girl would be lucky to have him." Sadie intervened.

"Then why don't you ask him out."

"Hell no!" I laughed at her automatic reaction.

"Regina." All of our heads spun to see Ace leaning against his car.

"Gotta go guys. Love ya, Sa." Reggie kissed Sadie on the cheek and pranced over to Ace where she pressed a hot and hard kiss on Ace's lips. I looked at Sadie and her eyes were straight ahead, but she didn't shake and fear outwardly. She was tense and still uncomfortable around Ace but then again, so were we.

"Come on, Shorty." We left the kissing couple and turned into the Blue Point Diner. Sliding into a booth I could visibly see the brick walls shoot up all around her. She was blocking herself off again. Sadie did this often, she would just sit there with a glazed over look and ignore us like she was inside of a brick box. Gordie said it was a defense mechanism, but I still wondered what the hell she was defending herself from. The waitress came and I got fries and a coke, she was still in the box. A few minutes later I bit into a fry and looked at her.

"Hello?" I threw a fry at her head and she snapped back.

"I fail to see the necessity of that action." She said picking the fry out of her hair.

"You were gone for a real long time."

"Sorry. Lot on my mind."

"There always is." I mumbled. "Coke?" she nodded and took a long gulp of my drink.

"So what's up?" she took a fry and rested her head on her hand.

"Sitting in a diner with a crazy lady."

"That's cold."

"But true." I smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"So I take it you are going to crash the festival."

"Maybe. Who are you going with?"

"Well I was going with Reggie until about twenty minutes ago. So at this point I'll be sitting at home with my sister and her husband. Not exactly my idea of a good Friday night."

"Why? Your sister seems like fun."

"No. She never knew what real fun was. Steven always teased her about that."

"Who's Steven?" I watched her facial expression contort into sadness and regret; something told me she had no intention of telling me about this Steven person.

"No one. So why aren't you going with Isabelle, she digs you."

"Isolated Izzy is too much of a bore. She never talks, just kinda sits there. Like you do sometimes."

"Okay. You are going to be alone the rest of your life if you don't start calling people by their actual names."

"Whatever. I'll pick you up at seven, okay?"

"Huh? What the fuck did I agree to and when?"

"Well neither of us have anyone to go with, so why not each other?" I bit a fry, my plan making perfect sense to me.

"Your insane, Duchamp." She gave me a cute little smile. "But fine. Seven it is." She gathered her books and left me at the table. I paid for my food and left to walk aimlessly around town for a bit.

I hung out around town until six when I headed home for a shower, no need to smell like shit around a pretty girl. Walking in the door I felt a sense of gloom surround me like it always did these days.

"I'm home." I called out, throwing my backpack down and going upstairs. "Mom?"

"Up here." I heard her weak voice call out from her bedroom. I went in to see my mother lying in bed still in her night gown.

"Mom! Have you been here all day?"

"Yes." She sighed. "I didn't feel well."

"What about work? You haven't been in two weeks!"

"I'll be fine tomorrow."

"Mom, you have been saying that for two weeks."

"I mean it this time." She yawned and fell back asleep. I sighed, dropping my head into my hands. I stormed off to my room and slammed the door, cursing my father.

I used to worship the man, I worshiped him until he starting screaming at my mother and hitting me when we went to visit him. It was then I began to realize what he had become, just another loon up in Togus. Once on a home visit he walked in the door and held a knife to my mother's neck, refusing to let her go unless we told him where the enemy camp was. That was when it ended. The days of my bragging about Normandy had ended years before. He was dead to me the day he held the blade to my mom. But mom, she kept loving him. Every day she had hope. She always said 'when your father comes home' or 'wait until your father hears this'. When he killed himself I secretly was glad, hoping it would help my mother forget the asshole. But no, it just made things worse. She spiraled into depression, never to return. For more than a year now I had been forgotten or ignore nine times out of ten. I missed my mom more than anything, and I would do anything to get her back.

I stripped and let the hot water cover my body. I tried to tune out my mother's sobs in vain. I stepped out of the shower to find no more towels. I needed to do laundry. I needed to get my mom a doctor's appointment. I needed to get a mother fucking job. But for tonight, I needed to be with Sadie for a bit.

******SADIE******

"Sadie, you know how I feel about that boy." Sylvia sat on my bed and Mark was leaning in my doorway. "He is an idiot. A no good idiot."

"Sylvia. You don't even know him." I was flipping through my clothes, trying to find something suitable.

"I have heard enough!"

"Rumors rumors! Remember when Spencer was born and everyone though he was your kid because you were gone for the summer and mom was always in the house so no one could see that _she_ was his mother! Remember how you felt when people talked about you!"

"Sadie Ann." She growled. "Don't ever bring mom or Spencer into it."

"Spencer was your brother as much as Steven was! You didn't even go to his funeral!"

"At least wear a skirt. You are going to be in public representing me not at school with your little friends." The conversation was over. She left the room but Mark stayed, looking me over.

"You'll look good in a skirt." He said with a creepy tone dripping from his voice. I slammed the door in his face and I blocked it with a chair. Mark probably didn't mean anything by it; he could just be a real creeper sometimes.

I finally decided on a black skirt with a bright red tee shirt. I let my short hair down and wore my red converse. I did look good in a skirt. Pleased with myself, I waited for Teddy. He showed up around seven fifteen and I dashed down the stairs before the doorbell stopped ringing.

"I'm going." I called out and I stepped out of the house, slamming the door behind me.

"Damn." Teddy said looking me up and down like Mark did, except this time it was less creepy.

"Yeah, yeah. It was wear a skirt or don't go."

"You look good."

"And you showered finally." I chuckled a little and we walked to the festival. He kept his hands in his pockets and I kept mine crossed against my chest. Right then I promised myself something. I wouldn't think of Steven or Spencer or Sylvia or Mark. I would only think of Teddy and being a normal girl like I was seven months ago.

******TEDDY******

Lights were strung from building to building and streamers were everywhere. It smelled of cotton candy, funnel cakes, vomit, and sweat. I looked at Sadie and she resembled a kid in a candy store.

"Ever been to a festival."

"Nope. This is the first."

"What do you wanna do first?"

"What is the scariest ride?"

"The haunted house followed closely by the Revolver. We don't have to do them if you don't want to."

"Oh I want to!" She grabbed my arm and we dashed for the field where all the rides were. I was seeing a side of her I had never seen before.

We got in line for the haunted house and I half expected her to chicken out. She looked around, watching people moving about. When we got inside of the dark house the eerie music played and she took a deep breath.

"You okay?" I leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Hell yeah." We walked through and I watched her jump and squirm and squeal. It was funny to see how scared she was. At one point she grabbed my arm and hid her head in my shoulder, a killer clown jumping out at her with a chainsaw induced this.

After the house we rode every ride and played nearly every game. We didn't leave until eleven when the festival was winding down. I didn't walk her home immediately; she still had a half hour until curfew. We strolled down some empty streets, my hands in my pockets and her arms around the giant gorilla I won her.

"You really didn't have to pay for all that stuff."

"I know." I looked up at the stars and then back down to her. For the first time in the near month I have known her, she was smiling on her own. "You wanna go to the park?"

"Sure." We sat down on the swings and rocked back and forth silently. The night air was becoming chilly as tomorrow was October first. She shivered and I placed my jacket around her shoulders.

"Thanks." I shrugged and stood above her with my hands gripping her swings chains. I rocked her on the swing gently. We didn't talk, it's not like we had anything to say. She tilted her head up and she looked at me. I looked back at her. Her eyes looked so happy and her lips were smiling up at me.

"I had better get you home before your sister fails me."

"You aren't even in any of her classes."

"Teachers have ways." I laughed and took her hand. I walked her home and we stood awkwardly on the front step. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.

"Thanks, Teddy. Night." She shut the door and I left, with the feeling of her soft lips still on my cheek.

******Okay o I know that most of you are voting for Chris and Sadie but I just thought I would show you Teddy's sweet side. This does not mean they are together! This is up to you guys! The first boy with ten votes gets Sadie's heart. Please review!******


	7. PAINT!

******I own nothing. Man…saying that all the time gets old. Lol Enjoy******

**Chapter Song:::: When I See You Smile—Warrant yeah it's sappy and stuff but towards the end it explains how Chris feels about Sadie.**

******SADIE******

It was Saturday morning and I couldn't sleep. I glanced over at my clock, the harsh red numbers glared 9:06. Groaning I threw my pillow over my face. Maybe I could smother myself back to sleep… I gave it a few more minutes before I grudgingly rolled out of bed and headed downstairs for breakfast.

When I came into the kitchen I saw Mark sitting at the kitchen table in his boxers and an open robe. I groaned and rolled my eyes, wishing I was back at home. Daddy always closed his robe and Saturday was the day Mama made pancakes…even though she hadn't done so in months.

I grabbed a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and sat down across from Mark.

"Good morning." He greeted. I didn't respond. "Sadie? Is that you?"

"Close your robe and then we will talk." I popped a pebble and watched him tie his robe shut. "Thank you."

"No problem." He laughed. "How was your date?" he put down the paper and looked me over. I sincerely wished I had less attractive pajamas, even if they were only old boxers and a tank top.

"It wasn't a date. I was just hanging out with Teddy."

"Hanging out? Is that what they're calling it these days?" he chuckled again and I grinned a tiny bit in spite of myself.

"Yes, it was just hanging out. And I had a good time. What did you two do?"

"We just watched one of her sappy movies then went to bed."

"Ick. Romantic comedies suck." I ran a hand through my bed head and laid it on the table. Mark placed his hand over mine.

"I'm glad you are on the same page as me." he rubbed my hand with his thumb and I quickly took the hostage hand back.

"So I was wondering if we could go to the paint place today." I wasn't looking at him because I knew he was looking at me.

"That sounds great! We will go when your sister wakes up."

"So I have a couple days?" I chortled.

"You know. Some mornings I wake up grumpy. Other mornings I let her sleep." He laughed at his own joke and I just rolled my eyes. I placed my bowl in the sink, got dressed, and went outside.

It was still early and the morning had a sharp chill. I tightened my jacket around my and ambled around. The diner would be open but I really didn't want to go there. Reggie would still be out with Ace somewhere, all the boys would still be dead to the world, and Castle Rock seemed motionless. I felt all alone in the world. There were no cars passing by. No people out and about. The only sound was that of my feet crunching freshly fallen leaves and birds singing to one another. I smiled, thankful for the peace. I went down to the lake and sat on the bank, casting stones into the silvery water.

"I miss you, Steven. Why did you have to leave?" I spoke to myself, but I also spoke to Steven. I twirled my locket between my fingers and lost myself in my own memories. Memories of him and I swimming. Bike riding. Laughing. Crying. Fighting. Everything.

Some days I physically hurt from missing him. I felt like I was going crazy. It was like he was my imaginary friend that no one wanted me to talk about. Sometimes he was my imaginary friend and then there were times he was only there to make question my sanity and cause me to fight with the nothingness that is him.

"Hello?" I looked up to see Chris coming down the trail.

"Someone's an early bird."

"Ha. Good morning, Sadie."

"Pop a squat." He sat down next to me and yawned.

"Why you up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep. What's your excuse?"

"I'm not allowed to sleep." I wondered what he meant by that but I didn't ask. He had fresh bruises and cuts. His left eye was swollen and he had dried blood in his ear.

"Your stairs beat you up again?"

"Nah." He smiled crookedly at me and I felt my heat skip a beat. "It was my door this time."

"I bet."

"How was the festival? Heard you went with Teddy." His voice hinted at disappointment when he said Teddy, but he fixed it quickly causing me to question my hearing.

"Yeah. And I'm in one piece! It was actually really fun. How was your night?" He didn't answer me immediately. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit a smoke. Blowing smoke out of his nose he replied.

"Typical." He mumbled. "Nothing out of the norm."

"Firstly, you shouldn't smoke. And secondly you should have tagged along. I'm sure Teddy wouldn't have minded." He laughed as though he knew something I didn't.

"Didn't want to interrupt."

"Not you too. I swear to somebody Teddy and I are just friends."

"You don't kiss just friends." He laughed coldly. Stupid brotherly alliance they had going on here.

"Maybe you don't." I scoffed. "So I'm painting my room today." I changed the subject before it could go any further. "Wanna tag along and help me choose a color?"

"Sure. What color you thinking about?"

"I'm not sure. That's why I'm bringing you." He laughed.

"You hungry?"

"Who's paying?"

"I will." He shrugged.

"Then yes. Yes I am hungry." I smiled a bit and he put his arm around my shoulders like I was one of the boys.

******CHRIS******

We walked to the diner and slid into a booth.

"You eaten yet?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Half a bowl of stale fruity pebbles."

"What can I get you two?" the tired looking waitress asked.

"Chocolate pie. And chocolate milk." She said perkily. I rolled my eyes and ordered pancakes and bacon.

"Can I ask you a serious question?" she asked a few moments later.

"Sure."

"Why do inanimate objects keep kicking your ass?" I knew she was aware of the fact that I wasn't clumsy. I only 'fell' when I wasn't around witnesses.

"I dunno." I replied honestly. "They just always have. When my brother Eyeball was littler they did the same to him."

"We aren't talking about doors and stairs anymore are we?"

"No wonder you're in college courses." I laughed. "It's just my dad. Nothing major." I hated how I had to make it sound so casual. 'Oh yeah. My dad gets bored and beats the living shit out of me. No biggie!' it hurt like hell and there was no ego crusher bigger than being beat up on a nightly basis by your dad who you outgrew two years ago.

"Whatever you say." The waitress bought our food and we dug in. Not even two minutes into breakfast Reggie came storming in and sat next to me across from Sadie.

"Ugh!" she groaned.

"What's wrong?" Sadie asked quickly, not missing a beat.

"My boyfriend is a fucking idiot dick head!"

"I coulda told ya that much." I mumbled taking a bit of pancake. She shot me a look and continued. She went off on some story about Ace forgetting her at the pool hall with Billy, Eyeball, and the rest of the Cobra's because he was drunk.

"I had to walk all the way how and late last night it started raining!" she sulked, finishing her story.

"Pie?" Sadie offered cautiously. I was busting at the seams with laughter, but the gesture was so sincere I knew better than to give into the urge. Reggie nodded sadly and took a bite of thepie.

Hours later Reggie, Sadie, Gordie, Teddy, Vern and I sat in Sadie's room with green, blue, purple, and yellow paint. Sadie offered to take Reggie to the paint store with us, then walking back to her house we ran into Gordie who wanted to come. When we got back Teddy and Vern walking up to the house, ironically to ask if Sadie had seen any of us.

So there we sat. Six teenagers, six brushes, four colors, an entire room to paint, and no plan.

"We could do each wall a different color." Reggie offered.

"That would be cool." Gordie agreed.

"Yeah. But it would be cool to mix the colors and have like designs and stuff." Sadie contemplated.

"True." I nodded.

"We could paint blindfolded!" Teddy shouted out. We all just looked at him. Unknown to us Vern was cracking open paint cans while we were talking. We sat mulling things over for a little bit before Reggie gasped.

"Sadie, love. Please tell me I don't have green paint all over my back."

"You don't." Reggie sighed in relief. "It's purple!" We all turned around to see Vern holding a brush dripping purple paint.

"It slipped! Sincerely!" Reggie bent down and stuck her brush in the yellow. Lifting it up, she flung yellow paint at Vern.

"It slipped." She said with mock innocence. Vern re-dipped his brush and tried to fling paint at Reggie. Unfortunately his target moved exposing Gordie to a glop of Morning Haze Purple.

"You're a dead man, Vern." He growled dipping a brush in the blue. Soon it was a paint frenzy. People were scattering and flinging and jumping and laughing. By the end of it everything was covered in paint. It looked like a paint shop exploded. The once white walls were splattered in an explosion of color. The white dresser was also now filled with color as was the white bed frame.

Vern left around one. Teddy and Gordie a bit after him. Now Reggie, Sadie and I were lying on her bed with our legs dangling off the frame.

"Can you get high off paint fumes?" Reggie asked sleepily.

"Probably." Sadie responded, her voice barely audible.

"Are we?"

"Probably." I laughed.

"I have to go." Reggie moaned getting up off the bed.

"Aw. Why?" Sadie complained.

"I need to make Ace feel guilty."

"That would require him having a conscious." I muttered rolling over onto my stomach and closing my eyes.

I heard Reggie close the door and I opened my eyes to see Sadie sleeping with paint on her face, arms, legs, and every inch of her body. I smiled to myself as I watched her sleep.

"Stop looking at me." She muttered tiredly.

"Who says I was looking at you."

"I say."

"You're wrong."

"Shut up." she smiled and rolled onto her stomach. "Thanks for helping me paint."

"Sadie, we didn't paint. We had a brawl and the paint just so happened to land on the walls." She laughed. I loved her laugh. It wasn't that generic girl laugh, all high and squeaky, it was a real laugh.

"Well still."

"Not a problem." She smiled the way only Sadie could and I knew I was wrapped around her little finger. When I saw her smile it was like the world stopped and I would do anything for her. It made me feel strong and I could do whatever I wanted. I knew she didn't smile all the time so whenever she smiled at me I knew it was special.

"Does he hurt you?" she reached out and gently stroked my bruised eye.

"I don't even notice it anymore." Lie.

"If you go home are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Lie.

"Are you lying to me?"

"No." Damn it, I might need to get this chronic lying thing checked out.

"Sadie!" We both sat up at the sound of her sister's voice outside the door. Sylvia burst into the room and glared between Sadie and I.

"How do you like it?" Sadie asked before she could say anything about Sadie and I being on the bed with each other.

"It's…nice. I wouldn't live in it but if it works for you." I saw Sadie roll her eyes and I snickered.

"Hey, I'm gonna head out, Sa. I'll catch ya later." I stood up and headed for the door.

"Alright. Thanks."

"Anytime." I smiled at her and pushed past Sylvia.

Teddy was gonna be pissed…

******Not my best chapter but I needed something to keep the story moving. ******** Reviews?******


	8. My Little Girl

******If you still think I own anything you need to go back and read my FIVE other disclaimers. Also this chapter is more about Reggie and Ace and her family. I think she is an important character and needs more air time so to speak. Enjoy!******

**Chapter Song:::: to sleepy to come up with one!**

******REGGIE******

I headed out of the Zelper-Leech residents and looked around as I walked into Castle Rock. I had lived here for twelve of my sixteen years and I could never get over its fall beauty. The trees were glimmering with oranges and golds and crimsons. Children's hollow squeals echoed through the small town. I watched them play and dash around, hiding and chasing from one another.

Only years ago I was one of them. Climbing the trees and crawling under houses. Now it seemed so far away. So much had happened in the last years of my adolescences. Some days when I look back on it, it wasn't even like I had a childhood.

"Hey, Reggie." Chris's voice shattered my sense of nostalgia. He must have left not to long after me.

"Hey, man. What up?"

"Walking down a hill into Hell on Earth."

"It's not that bad." I smiled, looking around. My hair blew all around me and I tucked it behind my ears.

"I guess." We were silent for a minute as we crossed Main Street.

"You like her."

"Who?"

"The little red head you are all cozy with."

"Tell her and die." He grinned crookedly, that heart throb smile promised him any pretty girl in the world. "I'm serious, Reg. I don't think she needs something else to deal with."

"I like that about you."

"What?"

"You are honest about it. You don't try to deny it like a third grader. You know you like her as well as any of us do."

"Sure." He ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. "Your boyfriend is waiting for you." He nodded toward Ace who was leaning up against his car.

"I'll see you later." I waved, he smiled and I went to Ace.

"Hey, sexy." His husky voice greeted me. My knees went weak as he took me in his arms and kissed my neck. It took every inch of my being to push him away and stand my ground.

"What, Zachary." Any other person to call him that would have had their faces smashed in, but for me he just grinded him teeth and growled at me.

"What the fuck is your problem!"

"How about you ask Billy, or Eyeball, or hell even Ray knows what my problem is!" I crossed my arms and squared up to him. I only came up to his chin but I stood like I was ten feet tall.

"Is this about leaving you last night?"

"No." I said sarcastically. "It's about forgetting my pet monkey's birthday. Yes it's about leaving me last night. _Again_!"

"I'm sorry, babe. It won't happen again."

"Zachary! This is the third time. I'm sick of it."

"Whatever, bitch!" he raised his hand to smack me but he put it back in his pocket. I had the boy whipped. He knew that every time he hit me I left for five days. The first time he hit me and I left for the week he didn't care. The second time I could feel him watching my every move. The third time he drove to my house on the fourth day and just sat there waiting for me. There hasn't been a fourth time.

"Don't call me that, Zach." I kept my voice calm, trying to get through to him.

"Fine. Look. Sorry I left you. Are you getting in the fucking car or not." Half of me wanted to punish him more and just walk home. But the other half saw the secret anguish he hid so well behind his crystal eyes, he was sorry.

"Fine." I buckled myself in and he drove off. It was surprising how safe of a driver he could be. When one of his buddies was in the car he burned rubber and tried to run over everything. When I was beside him in the passenger's seat he was still breaking speed limits but he was far less reckless.

He turned into my driveway and stopped the car. I leaned over and gave him a slow, sexy kiss. Just the kind he loved.

"Love you." I whispered half heartedly into his ear.

"Yeah." I kissed his temple and flounced to my house, purposely showing off. I watched him tear out of my drive way and run into a trash can.

Somehow I knew he loved me in his own rough and tough way. But I wasn't sure I loved him like I should…

"Hey, mom." I called, kicking off my boots.

"Reggie! Reggie! Reggie!" I looked down to see my fire headed niece reaching up to me. Her green eyes held specks of gold and her chubby hands were reaching up to me.

"Hi, Genevieve." I picked her up and walked into the kitchen to see my mother chopping up carrots for the stew we would have for dinner. "Hey, mom." I sighed, setting Genny down. "Genny honey, go play with your Barbie." The little girl toddled off and I sighed, resting my head in my hands. Every time I saw her I ached.

"You have no idea how much it hurts to love someone who looks just like someone you hate so much."

"Regina. You don't hate your sister." Mom consoled me.

"Mother! Cassie was sixteen! She was a slut, got knocked up, popped out Genny, and left with Larry or Jerry or Barry. Whatever the hell his name was."

"Don't curse."

"Mama! Please tell me you hear what I'm saying!"

"I will always love my daughter no matter what she has done." she didn't look at me. She just kept cutting the produce into a mushy pile.

"Disown her and adopt Genny."

"Reggie not this again. It's foolish."

"It's not foolish mom! Disown Cassie for leaving the family just like dad did!"

"Dad didn't leave." She whispered.

"Mom. He went on a diaper run when Genny was born and we never saw him again!" I nearly cracked my head on the cabinet out of frustration.

"Regina Lacey Tipple!"

"You haven't even realized I stopped using his last name." i tried to hide the pain in my voice. Mom didn't know anything about me know. "I'm Bricks now! Regina Lacey Bricks! Your last name. Your real last name, mother."

"They will come back." My mother sobbed. "They will come back!" I tried to feel bad for making my mother cry but I couldn't. I was sickened by her faith in the people who left her. I left the room and picked up Genny and Barbie in a huff.

Slamming my door behind me I placed Genny in front of her doll house and let her play while I read. My book was open but I was focusing on someone other than the Dollanganger family.

I watched her play with innocence. Four years old and she will never know her mother. Never know her grandfather. Never know her grandmother at her best. All she will know is the aunt who treated her like a daughter. I fed her, changed her, played with her, punished her, bathed her, and was the best makeshift mother I could be.

Genevieve was as much my daughter as if I had birthed her myself. I rose from my bed and went down to Genny. I kissed her head and picked up one of her dolls.

"What are we playing?" I asked gently. She smiled up at me, reveling her twin set dimples. Damn, I loved this little girl.

******Hey! Hope you liked Reggie's chapter. Reviews would make me very happy!******


	9. The Locket

******Sorry for the belated update! Been uber busy today!!! I am soooo glad you guys like this! As long as you keep reading I will keep writing. Oh yeah, and I own nothing but my OC's. Still.******

******TEDDY******

I glanced down at my watch. 12:35. She should have been here by now. I leaned up against the wall waiting for Sadie to make her daily lunch time appearance. Seeing as I was in the shitty shop courses and she was in those damn college courses the only time I saw her was lunch. I looked around the court yard where my 'peers' sat eating and talking like morons. Across the field I saw Reggie coming my way wearing a short pleated mini skirt, knee high ice pick boots, and a tight jacket. Shit, Sadie sure could pick friends.

"Hey, Theo." She greeted, walking up to me.

"Hey. Seen Sadie?"

"Not since third hour? Why? She late for your little lunch date?" she teased.

"In fact yes." I resisted the urge to stick out my tongue.

"Maybe she just got caught up in a class. I've been looking for her too." She tucked her long blond hair behind her ear and stuck her hands in her jacket pockets. For some reason I found myself fascinated with her every move. Probably on the account of the hottest girl in Castle Rock was talking to a Duchamp.

"What for?"

"None ya."

"Really. Must be awfully lame then if you ain't spillin'."

"Nah. It's just to cool for a loser like you."

"Very mature."

"I'm known for my rudeness not my maturity."

"You ain't rude."

"Was that a compliment?" she asked with shock riding in her cobalt eyes. How in the hell did Ace score her.

"Take it any way you want to." I muttered pulling out my last pack.

"Can I bum a smoke?" she pleaded. "I am low on nicotine."

"You smoke?" I tried not to act to shocked.

"It's not like it's too bad for you." She laughed, lighting up and blowing a perfect smoke ring.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"Practice." She looked guiltily at the smoking white cylinder and put it out.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm trying to quit for my girl back home."

"You have a kid?" I asked putting out my half smoked cigarette.

"Nah. My niece. Long story." She looked off into the distance, searching for something it looked like. "Where the hell is she?"

******GORDIE******

"Hey, Sa." I watched her walk up to me in worn jeans and a cute striped sweater. It had been a week since we painted her room and she seemed to be coming out of her concrete box more and more since.

"Hi, Gordie. How are you?"

"Alright. Looking for Chris." I sat at a table in the cafeteria and she stood above me playing with her locket.

"You too? I haven't seen him since fourth period."

"I saw him last hour. But not since."

"Keep me posted. I believe I am freaking Teddy out. I'm a whole ten minutes late." I laughed a bit at her joke but she barely turned her mouth upwards. It wasn't too long after she left that Chris walked up and sat across from me.

"Hey man."

"Hey." He reached over and stole a swig of my school milk.

"Where ya been?"

"Library. Doing some extra studying." He seemed to be distracted.

"Really? Well then." I laughed and looked at my friend. I had known him for years and some days I knew him better than he knew himself. He was here but his mind wasn't. He was barely listening to my attempts at conversation and he kept looking out the window.

"You doing okay man?" I asked, not expecting him to hear me the first time.

"Yeah. Just fine. Sadie with Teddy for lunch today?"

"As always."

"Ah." I heard a tinge of disappointment hit his voice then evaporate. "I gotta go. Catch ya later." I sighed and shook my head. He had it bad for the new girl.

That afternoon I sat in the tree house reading my biology book when she burst through the floor. She looked panicked and distressed.

"Gordie!"

"Sadie!" I yelled back, trying to make a joke. I failed.

"Please tell me you have seen my locket! Please, please, please say it fell off and you found it!" she climbed fully in the tree house and began tearing it apart in her quest.

"No. You had it at lunch." I offered.

"I know and Teddy and I came back here with Reggie like we always do and I haven't seen it since!" she sifted quickly through a stack of old detective magazines I forgot I put there years ago.

"Calm down. Where have you been since?" I forgot that when a girl is freaking out there is no logic and no calming her down.

"Where haven't I been would be an easier search! I've been to school, to the house, the diner, the library, both public and school, the roads, here!" she was rambling a thousand miles an hour and then she stopped. "Damn it!" she cried out in anguish, and then she left as quickly as she came. I leaned my head out the window and watched her scour the grounds around the tree house. I wanted to help her but I had the feeling it was best if I stayed out of it.

******SADIE******

"Shit. Fuck. Damn. Hell." I muttered every cruse word to myself I could think of and searched through the tall grass. I was nearing tears but I held it in and searched. I retraced my steps and found myself on the back way Teddy, Reggie, and I took to get to the tree house face to face with Ace and Eyeball.

"Well, well, well, Eyeball. Look what we found." Ace taunted.

"Little girl red." Eyeball reached out and pulled one of my pig tails. If I thought sobbing and breaking down into incoherent hysterics would have helped, I would have done it in a heartbeat.

"Leave me alone." I mumbled, not looking at them.

"Oh. She wasn't this mouthy last time."

"Any other time I will let you kick my ass but not now!" I cried out, blinking back fat tears.

"Why the rain check, Red?" Eyeball asked with fake curiosity.

"None of your fucking business." I snapped. I was no longer morbidly depressed, just dangerously pissed off. Ace reached out to pat my cheek with counterfeit sincerity and I turned my head and bit him. Hard.

"Bitch!" he took his bleeding hand and smacked me just as hard as I bit him. I stumbled back but I didn't fall this time. My fight or flight instinct was kicking in and it screamed flight. I spun on my heel and bolted. My cheek stung and so did my tears.

I ran blindly down the street until I heard Chris's voice calling out to me. Somehow I had made it into the woods.

"Sadie!" I was collapsed on the forest floor sobbing. "Sadie!" I lifted my head to see him dodging tree limbs and clingy plants to get to me. He crouched down to me and I lunged into his arms, sobbing harder. "Are you hurt?" I heard him through my deep sobs for air.

"No." I whimpered, trying to keep from hyperventilating.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Who the hell did this to you?" I wanted to tell him about Ace and Eyeball but I refrained because I knew I would be on lock down if he knew they were messing with me again.

"My locket." I sniveled. "I lost my locket after lunch. I can't find it anywhere. I know it's just a stupid piece of pawn shop jewelry but it's important to me!" I could feel myself getting worked up again.

"Shh." He sat cross legged and pulled me into his lap. "I know it's important. You wouldn't be like this over any other necklace." He rocked me gently and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry. It's just…" I nearly told him about Steven but once again I refrained, for reasons unknown to me. "It's just really special to me."

"I know." I felt him kiss my head and my heart jumped three beats. "I know." He repeated. "I promise to keep an eye out for it." Somehow I felt he knew and I knew he wasn't just saying crap to get me to stop crying like the wuss I was. I stopped crying and sat there with one hand around his neck and the other on my chest where the ghost locket was.

******CHRIS******

I didn't ask about the startling red mark on her face. I didn't ask why she ran into the woods. I didn't ask anything. I just held her until she finished crying and was breathing normally again. Gently I shifted her so I could stand up then took her hand and helped her up.

"Come on. It's getting to be late and Sylvia is going to be wondering where you are." She nodded sadly and wiped her eyes. I held her hand tightly and walked her home, using the back ways to protect her dignity. By the time we arrived at her front step the puffiness of her eyes had gone down noticeably and she wasn't shaking any more. Before dismissing her inside I pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Chris."

"Don't apologize." I mumbled into her hair. "I promise I'll find it."

"Thank you." She looked up at me with her despair ridden eyes and I hurt more at that moment then I had anytime dad was kicking my ass.

"Anytime, Sa." She went inside and I ambled down the hill back to town. A walked out to the tree house and started to climb the ladder when something glimmered in the tall, thick, grass next to a tree root. I reached down and found the precious locket. It was hidden deep in the grass to where it couldn't be seen without the right light. I was thankful the setting sun lit up the shimmery brass. The clasp was worn down and must have just given up. On the back I felt engraving. I flipped it over and read the flowey cursive writing.

_Love You Always, Steven_

"Who the hell is Steven?" I muttered opening the locket. When I did I found a teenage boy roughly around seventeen smiling back at me. He the same feline like eyes as Sadie but this boy had dirty blond hair. "She really loves you, Steven." I grumbled bitterly at this strange boy who held Sadie's heart so tight. I would give her the damn thing tomorrow and forget about digging on her. Why be the girl's rebound? I closed the locket and stuck it deep in my pocket, my annoyance level building.

******Well then! Angry ending. Keep in mind Chris doesn't yet know Steven is Sadie's brother. The whole Zelper family story will slowly be leaking out in later chapters. Reviews???******


	10. Rebound?

******Hmmmm thing are getting interesting! Lol Thank you for all the reviews. I WILL NEVER own anything but the characters that come from my own daydreams. Enjoy!******

******SADIE******

Sluggishly I crept into Sylvia's class room. She was already assuming the role of perky teacher, passing papers out and writing the day's schedule on the black board. I sunk into my desk and kept grasping for my nonexistent locket. I felt somewhat naked without it. Last night after Chris walked me home, Sylvia didn't even notice that I had been crying or in any pain at all. She didn't bother asking me if I was alright, why I was hiccupping uncontrollably, or where the hell my locket was. Sometimes it felt like I was just taking up space to her. Like a border who didn't pay utilities.

Reggie had called last night ranting about Ace, yet again, and I told her about Sylvia. She told me it was probably awkward for a young, newly married woman to be living with her sister again. Feebly I agreed and made some sorry ass excuse to get off the phone.

I looked around for Chris and he slipped in the classroom right before the sharp bell blasted out our eardrums as it did every morning.

"Nice of you to join us, Chris." My sister, Mrs. Leech, stated snappily.

"Sorry." His eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he didn't sleep at all last night. I quickly scanned his body over for bruises and saw none. No cuts, blood, or marks of any kind. If it wasn't his dad, then why in the hell did he look like shit? I expected him to slip into the seat next to me like he had always done, but this morning he chose an empty desk in the back of the room. I looked back at him and he averted my gaze.

Class seemed to drag without his humorous peanut-gallery like comments scribbled onto the back of the work sheets she handed out. Every time I looked back at him he was staring out the window. I buried my head in my arms and waited out the storm.

Finally the bell shattered conversation and told us that we had survived the first hour of school. I stood up and gathered my books. I looked around for Chris and there was no sign of him. I sighed and trudged to my locker. Opening it I felt a presence behind me. I leaned back my head to see Reggie standing with her arms crossed and tapping her toe.

"What?" I asked, spinning away from my open locker.

"I wish I knew." She snapped.

"That helps me none, Reg."

"Chris! He isn't talking to any one! Not even Gordie! Gordo and I were standing outside of class and we said hi to him but he totally blew us off!" she rolled her eyes and let out a huff of air.

"I know. I don't know what's going on either. I think it could be family stuff."

"Well could you please figure it out? I hate it when he is like this!" she sulked momentarily. "Did you ever find you locket?"

"No." I sighed. She pulled me into a tight hug and kissed my cheek.

"It will show up, hun. I gotta go." She flounced off leaving me to gather my things from my locker. Bending down to it I found my locket laying on the top of my history book. It looked cleaner and was n a new looking gold chain. Underneath it lay a note.

_I told you I would find it._

_-C-_

Chris's neat handwriting was the best thing I had seen all day. A smile broke my face and I couldn't wait until Biology. Quickly I clasped the locket around my neck and made a mad dash for History class.

I didn't see Chris in Biology, or at lunch, or in any of our other shared classes. In fact I didn't see him at all after English class. After school I beat the crowds and made a bee-line to get out of the building. I found Teddy waiting for Reggie and I.

"Teddy. Have you seen Chris?" I asked looking all around to see if Chris would leak out of the building with the other bored students.

"Not since yesterday when he found your locket. I went over to Gordie's for a bit and he showed up with it. He seemed pretty torn up over something." He took a drink of his coke.

"Damn. Hey, where's Vern? Haven't seen him in a bit."

"He's sick. Bronchitis or something."

"Bummer." I mumbled, looking around for Chris still. All I found was Gordie and Reggie walking in the last batch of kids.

"Hey, Theodore." Reggie greeted, ready to start something.

"Hello, Regina." He retaliated.

"Don't call me that."

"Don't call me Theodore."

"One afternoon." I sighed. "Hey, Gordie."

"Hey, Sa."

"Have you seen Chris?"

"Nah. He left sick before second period."

"Oh. Is he okay?" he looked at m dead in the eyes.

"I hope he will be." He told me with the I-know-something-you-don't-know tone.

"Teddy!" I heard Reggie cry out. I spun around and saw Reggie trying to blot out something from her jeans. He was holding the coke bottle crooked and there was more coke on the ground. She slugged him on hard in the arm and he cackled.

"It was an accident!" he howled.

"Accident my ass!" she snarled. I began to walk away from them and Gordie followed.

"So what was wrong with Chris today?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

"I dunno exactly. Just said he had to leave."

"You're lying. You know why."

"Yeah. I do." He sighed, looking to the clouds. We walked to his house and when we entered it I was startled at how quiet it was. I saw his mom sitting in the living room knitting but she didn't say anything.

"Come on." He led me up to his room and shut the door behind us. He stretched out in his bed and I sat in a chair at the desk. His room resembled childhood. It was pale blue with wooden furniture like he was still twelve. "He found your locket."

"I know." I twirled it around my neck.

"He came here last night and cleaned it up. Used my mom's jewelry polisher and thread it with a new chain."

"I figured."

"Who's the boy in your locket?"

"What?" I was startled that he opened it.

"Was he your boyfriend before you moved here?"

"No."

"Then why do you talk to this Steven guy all the time? You are awful attached to that locket. You still love him?"

"Of course. He's my dead brother."

******GORDIE******

"You're brother?" I stuttered.

"Dead. My dead brother."

"Shit."

"What?"

"Fuck."

"What!"

"We thought he was like your ex or something."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He really digs you but now he refuses to talk to you. Doesn't want to be your rebound."

"My rebound _brother?_"

"We didn't know he was your brother at the time." He drummed his fingers on his knee, a nervous habit of his.

"So where is he because I know he didn't go home." Gordie just shrugged.

"He was really ticked off. Depressed. I only know of one place where he would go…"

"Where?"

******REGGIE******

Sadie and I lounged in my room, watching Genny play. She had been acting weird since she left Gordie's.

"So where's the boy?" I asked keeping an eye on Genny who was dangerously near the outlet with a penny.

"Gordie didn't tell me. Just said to leave him alone for a bit and he will come back."

"Really? That's awful- Genevieve, don't you dare put that penny in the outlet- weird."

"Yeah." Sadie reached down and took the penny from Genny.

"Maybe he will be back by the dance."

"Dance? What dance?" her head shot up and she resembled a deer in headlights.

"Every Halloween there is a dance. I take Genny trick-or-treating before it then head out to the dance. They will be handing out flyers soon. Tickets will go on sale the week before the dance."

"I'm not going." She said handing a handful of Cheerios to Genny.

"Yes you are."

"Says who!"

"Says me. Come on! Dances are the perfect place to make up with people! Then after you make up you can dance and make out!"

"What world do you live in?"

"A very fun one." We laughed and Genny started laughing because we were. I lifted her up and ticked her as Sadie blew on her tummy. She giggled and giggled until we are afraid she was going to piss herself. The subject might have been left open but I would get Sadie to that dance if it killed me, which knowing how stubborn Sadie was it probably would.

******So? Clear things up. More in depth conversation about Steven and the entire Zelper family to come. I love writing Genny's scenes! Reviews???******


	11. AUTHORS APOLOGY

**Oops! Computer glitch! My computer fudged up and compressed and combined files or something. I apologize. :-)**

**-D-**


	12. Happy Sitcom Family

******Own nothing. Enjoy!!!!!******

******SADIE******

The week passed slowly. Okay, slowly was an understatement. The week seemed like a century. Each minute an hour, each hour a day, each day a year. I woke up groggy and moody. I went to school with tears in my eyes because Chris still refused to talk to me. When I got home each day I did my homework, ate dinner, and went to sleep. I didn't know how much Chris was a part of my life until he left it. Sure Gordie and Teddy and Vern were nice to be around and yeah they were my best friends…but they weren't Chris. Reggie and Genny were the only other people I kept contact with, she practically ordered me to go with her to her house or out with her or anywhere with her. I suppose she was afraid I would try to drown myself in the bathtub like some senior boy did last month.

Finally it was the week before the dance. Flyers were handed out. Posters were hung. Girls squealed. Boys groaned. It was a typical American high school dance. Thursday afternoon I watched Chris leave the building to talk to Gordie for a bit. I knew that recently he was sleeping over at his house lately. I was glad that Chris had only severed ties with me. Gordie and Teddy and Vern needed their peacemaker.

"Sadie?" Reggie's voice echoed.

"Yeah." I shut my locker and walked out with her.

"Guess what." She was happy. Her eyes were shinning and she was smiling more. Ace had cooled down and was being an acceptable boyfriend. Genny was thriving in Castle Rock Tots, the local preschool. And her mom was leaving her alone more and more. I couldn't figure out how that last thing was good but I let her have her moment.

"What?" I played along, wishing she would just say it.

"Ace agreed to take me to the dance!" she squealed, doing a little jig.

"Do they let other kids come to the school dances?" I pondered.

"He still goes here…just doesn't show up." I stopped walking and looked at her. Ace was like twenty or something insane like that. "He never graduated." She said simply.

"Alright." I was uneasy about spending an entire night near Ace. Let alone that night was tomorrow so I had barely anytime to mentally prepare myself.

"He will leave you alone. And the boys. Made him promise."

"Promise what?" Teddy asked, putting out a cigarette on the side of the building.

"None ya." Reggie replied snidely. "Where are Gordie and Chris?"

"Went to Gordo's house. Some project or something." I noticed he was gravitating towards Reggie and had stopped calling her the Hot Friend.

"Vern?"

"Who knows. With Rita again." We walked into town like every afternoon; I enjoyed the routine of it all. "What's wrong, Shorty?" he asked me.

"Nothing." I stated strongly.

"I never knew that this abundance of nothingness could bum someone out for an entire week."

"Anything's possible. I gotta go. Sylvia is making me do extra credit projects. The woes of being a teachers sister."

******TEDDY******

I watched her sulk off and I heard Reggie sigh. She was sighing a lot recently. Sadie had a lot of 'projects' recently. Gordie and Chris were gone a lot recently. And weirdest of all Vern had a lot of dates with a hot brunette recently. What the fuck was going on…

"So." She muttered, zipping up her jacket.

"Yeah, so."

"Ace is coming to the dance."

"Then I am not." We turned to walk to the preschool to pick up Genny. I often avoided home recently so I spent most of my time with Sadie or Reggie. After school with Sadie we would go to the tree house or to the diner. After school with Reggie we would pick up Genny, give her snack, help her with her 'homework', and play with her.

"Yes you are! You have too!"

"Why exactly do I _have _to do anything you say?"

"Because I have the boobs that's why." We laughed and she pushed me playfully. "But seriously, I need you to get Gordie to get Chris to the dance. Gordie won't make Chris go if he doesn't want to and he won't want to. I need you to get Gordie to go because I need Chris and Sadie to talk. I have it all planned."

"Really now? How so?"

"None ya." We walked into the preschool and Genny bolted to us. "Hi, honey." Reggie kissed her head and picked her up to go talk to Miss Walker, the day care lady. I tagged along, watching other kids play with the blocks and coloring books. I had yet to come in and meet Miss Walker but I didn't get the feeling she liked me anymore than children enjoyed root canals. Her gray hair was wrapped tightly onto her head. Her nose was long and crooked and sat awkwardly on her wrinkly pinched face. She was hunched over and wore a prairie dresses and half moon glasses she glared over. I shrunk back behind Reggie.

"Hello, Regina."

"Hello, Miss Walker. How was Genny today?"

"A star pupil as always. Genevieve is an angel. For being such a young mother you have raised her with outstanding values." She looked at me over her glasses and I could feel disdain radiate from her. "Is this her father?"

"No!" she said instantly. "This is my friend Teddy."

"He comes over and plays with me and tells me stories and takes my apples even though stealing is bad." Genny explained sweetly.

"Tattler." I touched her nose and she giggled.

"He helps out with Genny while my mother is at work.

"He comes over to your house with no adults in the house." She was visibly taken aback.

"Have a good day Miss Walker." We walked up the street, each of us holding one of Genny's hands and swinging her up in the air.

"Why does she think that Genny is yours?"

"Because I told her she is. I try to tune out my sister anywhere I can. Besides why start the rumors all over again. I would rather Genny deal with a teenage mother than a runaway mother."

"Does the old bat know that would put you at twelve?"

"Maybe dinosaurs do math differently." She laughed as we swung Genny up in the air.

Entering the house Genny ran to the kitchen and I took her tiny backpack to her room while Reggie made snack. I looked around the room smiling to myself. It was pink and covered in drawings taped to the walls. Her little bed was pink and flowery. All her little dresses were hung up and she had dolls scattered on the floor, most unclothed.

I walked back out to the kitchen to see Genny with an apple wedge in one hand and a juice box in the other. She was talking a mile a minute about Robby eating the crayons during color time. I waited for her to take a breath before I turned my attention to Reggie who was eating an apple as well.

"What is with small children and stripping their dolls clothes off? My cousin does it too!"

"I never did that." She stated with dignity.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I took their heads off."

"Why doesn't that surprise me." She shrugged and cleaned up the snack.

I stayed until 6:00 when I had to leave for work, that and her mom came home at 6:30. Needless to say Mrs. Bricks didn't much care for my company. As for work I had snagged the graveyard shift at the gas station the week prior and was earning good money. Two bucks an hour and free sodas; the only problem was that I worked seven to three, Tuesday to Saturday. I was lucky I was pulling over time to grab the night of the dance off. I stood to leave and Genny who was sitting at my feet watching some educational cartoon jumped up and latched to my leg.

"Don't leave!" she wailed. I looked to Reggie who smiled and went back to her book. I picked Genny up and wrapped her legs around my waist, her arms were locked tight around my neck. "Don't leave, Teddy!"

"I have too."

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because Reggie makes me." Genny spun around and stuck her tongue out at Reggie.

"Way to throw me under the bus, Theo." She mumbled.

"But." I said trying to redeem myself. "If you behave yourself and are a good girl and Reggie and Grandma say you were then I will bring you back a present from work. But for now I believe it is dinner time then bath time."

"Okay. You can leave. I'll be good." Taking her cue Reggie closed the book and took Genny from me.

"Come on little one." She said gently. She looked up at me with those perfect eyes and I had a thought. If this were one of those afterschool sitcoms Reggie and I would have been together. I would have kissed her goodbye and left for work, knowing I would come back home to her and my daughter later that night. But instead of kissing her goodbye I just grabbed my jacket, waved goodbye, and left.

I clocked into work a little before seven and settled behind the counter for a long empty night. Surprise, surprise not too many people in Castle Rock required gas and cheap food at midnight. Paul, the middle aged man I worked with, was mopping in the back around one when I began to look around for a toy a four year old girl might like.

"Hey, Paul." I called to him. He stuck his head around an aisle. He was balding and his face resembled a pugs. Short, fat, and down on his luck, Paul was a good work buddy. Fun to talk to and easy to ignore.

"Yeah, Ted?"

"You got kids?"

"I did once. Three boys and a darling little girl who looked just like my second wife."

"What does a girl like?"

"What kinda girl?"

"She's four. Tough and girlie. She will wear a dress and kick your ass while in it. What should I get?"

"A shotgun." He laughed. "Your little girl is gonna bring home some boys later on."

"She's not mine. She is the girl of my friend."

"Friend?" he wiggled his eye brows and wrung out the mop water.

"Yeah."

"She a cute 'friend'?"

"She is gorgeous. Smart, funny, tough."

"She ain't no friend, boy." He said wisely.

"What? Yeah she is."

"You don't sigh dreamily bout your friends." He cackled. "Here." He tossed me a silly putty egg. "Amanda loved this shit." I nodded and ignored him for the next two hours, not being able to wait to present Genny with her gunk in a purple plastic egg.

******Well the dance is tomorrow night! What drama will unfold this Friday Halloween night??? Muh-nuh-nuh-nuuuuuh!!! Please leave me the much loved reviews!******


	13. APREHENSIVE AUTHOR

Okay I am really nervous about posting this next chapter. It is really intense and it will be rated M. It has gore and heavy make out scenes. I hope you will like it either way.


	14. What Ever Happened To Dancing At Dances?

******DOOOOODE!!!! First Ed, then Farrah, next Michael, now Billy??? I am so bummed :-(….so many important people dying….RIP all four of you. Back on subject now…settle in for a long chapter **_**INTENSE**_** chapter. The dance is not for the faint of heart but it is for those who are curious to Sadie's past and Reggie's future. This chapter is rated M because of certain issues that will come about. Try to enjoy it.******

******SADIE******

Halloween evening. School that day had been nothing but talk of the dance, I don't even remember what we were supposed to be learning. I stood walking on the sidewalk with Reggie beside me. Ahead of us Genny skipped ahead of us in a white dress, red shoes, and black devil horns upon her auburn head.

"What is she supposed to be?" I asked watching her dash up to Mr. Myers door.

"I have no idea. Dorothy, Cinderella, and the devil's advocate. I let her choose. Last year she was Tinkerbelle, Toto, and a groom."

"Groom as in bride and groom?"

"Yup." She pulled her long hair up into a high pony tail.

"So when is Ace picking you up?"

"The dance starts at eight so he will meet me at the dance around nine thirty." She rolled her eyes and signaled Genny to slow down.

"Really? And I'm still going?"

"Did I ever give you a choice?"

"No mommy dearest. You did not." I sighed melodramatically.

"You know you love me." Genny came prancing up to us with a pillow sack of candy.

"I'm hungry."

"Then let's go get some dinner." Reggie offered, taking her hand.

"I want candy."

"After dinner you may have some."

"I want candy." I pouted, more than aware of the fact that I was not helping the situation.

"After dinner you may have some, Sadie. Now what do you say?"

"I love you Miss Hanigean." We cackled at our own unfunny bit and slid into a booth at the diner. We talked idly and watched Genny chow down on chicken fingers and fries. We were there for only a bit before Ace and Eyeball ambled in. They came immediately over and squished in next to Reggie. Poor Genny moved her fries over to my side and crawled under that table to sit next to me. I felt little Genny squirm up against me and she stopped eating. I watched as Ace and Eyeball glared down at her then at me.

"Hey, sexy." Ace greeted my friend, turning away from the frightened toddler. "How's about you ditch the kids and the dance and come with me."

"No Ace. You promised. You are going."

"The brat isn't coming, is she?"

"Firstly. She is a little girl not a brat. And secondly no, my mother is watching her." I didn't know how she could talk to Ace like he was a child or an idiot. The girl wasn't even vaguely aware of the fear sensors in her brain.

"Good. She shouldn't have to see the things I'm going to do to you." she didn't bat an eyelash, just unwrapped a fun size Snickers for Genny.

"Really now?" she said sweetly.

"She shouldn't have to hear about it either." I gagged. Genny munched innocently on the candy bar, looking as ready to leave as I was. "I'm going to take Genny to the park across the street. Come on." I took her hand and heard Ace grumbled more about his girlfriend's niece.

I set her free and watched her play with the other costumed children. It wasn't too long before I saw Gordie passing through with his nose in a book.

"Hey, Gordie." I called out to him. He lifted his gaze from the book and joined me on the park bench.

"What is she?" he asked, referring to Genny's costume.

"An individual." he laughed and scuffed his shoe on the gravel. "It's nearly seven thirty. You had better get ready. You're still going with Hannah right?"

"Unless she canceled within the last twenty minutes and I wasn't aware of it."

"Good."

"Vern and Teddy are going too. Vern with a date and Teddy hoping someone spikes the punch and he grabs a drunken freshman."

"Chris?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too pathetic.

"After Teddy made a whole dramatic scene about it Chris said he would go for a bit."

"Cool." I spun around to see Reggie coming towards me with a pillow sack of candy and a bored expression. "Well I had better go. I'll see you in a bit. Come on, Gen." Genny jumped down from the monkey bars and pranced up to Gordie and me.

"Hi, Gordie." She smiled and he ruffled her hair. I held out my hand and we walked home with Reggie.

While Genny ate dinner I sat patiently while Reggie expertly applied my makeup. I sat in a short black dress, a black ribbon in my hair, and black converse. My lovely ensemble was pieced together by Reggie who stood wearing a bright scarlet dress with a slit up the side and a deep V-neck. Her long blond hair was waved and hung loose all around her. She had a beautiful gold necklace on with a faux ruby carved into a heart. She looked like a crimson goddess while I looked like the princess of depression. Not that I minded, black suited me and my mood for the night.

"Are you almost done? I am done looking at your boobs." She was leaning down in front of me applying more and more clown gunk on my face.

"But aren't they amazing?" she mumbled jokingly.

"Shut up." I pushed her away and looked in the mirror. She painted me up beautifully. I was astonished. "Thank you!" I squealed wrapping my arms around her. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and hugged me back.

"It's what I do." We walked into the living room to find Genny nearly asleep with Mrs. Bricks. She leaned over the couch and kissed Genny goodbye. "Were leaving mom."

"Fine." She yanked me out the door and we walked the six blocks to the school. I was fine in my high tops but I felt bad for her in the cherry red stilettos. She didn't complain, just held her head high while making small talk with me.

We walked into the gym, making quite an entrance. People were dancing. The music was deafening. It looked amazing with all the streamers, balloons, decorations, and people. It didn't look like the place I had gotten kicked in the head two weeks prior. We walked to the corner where the boys lurked. Gordie had Hannah wrapped around him and Vern and Rita were whispering into each other's ears. Both couples looked adorable. Teddy was chatting up some ditzy blond and Chris was leaning up against the

wall with his eyes closed.

"Hi, boys." Reggie said sexily. Teddy's head snapped from the blond and looked her over hungrily. I wondered if there was something she wasn't telling me.

"You look amazing." He complimented. The other boys agreed immediately and I couldn't help but notice that Rita and Hannah looked a tad envious.

"Hey, guys." I greeted shyly. Chris head whipped up and he looked at me with a startling intensity that made me reach for my locket. I saw him look back down and close his eyes the second my fingers laced with the brass heart.

"Wow, Sadie. You clean up pretty good." Vern commented.

"Very pretty." Gordie said quickly, trying to save Vern.

"Thanks." I muttered awkwardly. Soon enough Gordie and his pretty little dishwater blonde went off to 'dance'. Soon after that Vern and Rita melted off as well, leaving the awkward four of Teddy, Chris, Reggie, and I. We were sitting on the bleachers watching the others dance. Reggie and Teddy talked like best friends and Chris and I sat on the outsides twiddling our thumbs. Before long Ace showed up and Reggie tugged Teddy down with her.

"Come on!" she said tugging on his black shirt sleeve. Teddy actually looked really nice in his dark blue jeans and black button up shirt.

"I don't want to!" he cried in rebuttal.

"You don't have a choice!"

"Reggie, I have no reason to talk to him."

"Then don't! Theodore! Come on." Finally after minutes of humorous battle he gave in and went with her. I knew perfectly well it was all a ploy to get Chris and I alone. I sat for a few minutes, surprised he hadn't left yet.

"Look, Chris." I started.

"I can't hear you."

"Very mature, Christopher. Just listen."

"No seriously, I got hit in my ear and it hard for me to hear now, especially with all the noise in here."

"Oh." I grumbled feeling a fool. He stood up and took my hand and led me out to the parking lot. I followed him to a rusty old truck in the back parking lot where he helped me into the bed of the truck. We sat silent for a minute or two before he said anything.

"Well?"

"Steven is my brother. My older brother. Older by four years. Steven Tyler Zelper was my brother."

"Was?"

"He died." I choked out. I had never talked about Steven before, but I knew I had to know. It was explain my family or lose my best friend. "Steven was killed. Steven was killed in front of me."

"God, Sadie. I-I didn't know."

"Chris this would be a lot easier if you didn't talk."

"Okay."

"I was fifteen seven months ago. It was my birthday a week after his murder." I breathed slowly and closed my eyes. I had only told this story to the cops. No one else asked, no one else cared. "Firstly my family. Mom wanted kids. More specifically she wanted sons. She married dad right out of the high school gates and had Sylvia Marie. Mom loved her daughter but wanted a boy. When Sylvia was two she had Steven Tyler. Still wanting more boys she conceived again four years later and gave birth to Sadie Ann. Wanting one more baby she had another seven years later and we called him Spencer Marcus.

"We were a happy family. A mom, dad, four lovely children. We were perfect. Dad loved us daughters more than life and mom cherished her sons. Sylvia was always distant. She never much cared for the family, always claimed she was smarter and better. Spencer was too young to really do anything with so my friend was Steven. We did everything together." I smiled at the thought of my brother. "From the time I was four and he was eight we were inseparable. He taught me everything! I practically worshiped the ground he walked on. I loved Spencer too. He was my baby brother and I was his big sister. Simple as that. I would hold and cradle him and play house with him, like little girls do. Mom loved her baby too, he was the favorite baby and Steven was the golden child. As a kid I didn't notice it, but there were defiantly favorites played. Spencer would never get in trouble and Steven was given everything he wanted.

"We had a pool in the back yard. One melting hot volcano day when I was twelve and Steven was sixteen and little Spencer was only three we were playing outside near the pool. Eighteen year old Sylvia was off at community college and mom and dad were at the store. Steven was in charge and told me I was his co-captain. I felt so big. We were playing hide and seek and Steven was it.

"I told Spencer to hide under a pool chair and I would hide behind a tree. Usually Spencer giggled and gave away his position. This time I heard nothing. I only heard a splash and screams. I ran to the pool and saw him struggling to hang on. I was frozen with fear. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even whimper to try and call to Steven. I just stood by and watched my three year old brother die. It's my fault he isn't celebrating his seventh birthday next month." I held my breath for a minute in order not to sob.

"After Spencer Marcus's death mom began to drink and dad did what he could to support three children. Sending money to his collage daughter, paying for his high school son's sports, and paying for his middle school daughter's theatre classes, all on a grocery store manager's salary. He did the best he could, but at that point Steven really stepped up. He got a job, drove me to all my plays, unfortunately he had to give me both important talks, and everyday he told me that it wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault Spencer was dead. I didn't kill my baby brother. Every day for years.

"He even told me on the night he died. 'Happy nearly sixteenth birthday Sadie. It's not your fault our brother is dead and our mother drinks, and our father occasionally hits us out of stress. It's not your fault.'" I choked back tears and started to shake. "He took me out that night. Bowling. He took me bowling. I loved bowling. I was really good.

"The night was fantastic. I bowled a 253. We were walking home; his car was in the shop. We lived in a peaceful neighborhood. No thugs or anything. It was a great place to live. That's why we didn't expect them." I sighed and pulled my knees to my chest, trying to hold back the sobs for five more minutes.

"They were in a car. Four of them. They slowed behind us and got out. The four men in solid black began to follow us. They were yelling at us. Steven told me to ignore them and they would go away. But they didn't. They didn't go away! The ran up to us. Two shoved Steven into a nearby alley and one threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The fourth kept guard. They were beating Steven. Kicking him, hitting him, killing him. Finally they stopped and threw him up against the wall where he slipped down and groaned. The big one holding me chicken winged my arms and I just began kicking. I lifted my legs and kicked. I was squirming and trying to get free but to no avail. After a few minutes of being slapped around I stopped kicking and wiggling, I just looked at my brother.

"Steven was so strong! And yet he sat there like the living dead. _We will give you anything you want! I promise we won't tell if you leave us be! _I remember yelling. They spat at me and told me they didn't want anything. I asked why there were doing it and they said because they were bored. Bored! They killed him because they were bored!

"The biggest one waved a gun and he held it to my face. _"He's going to die and you're going be here to watch us kill him, girlie__."_ I will never forget that! Ever! He shot Steven in the temple. I watched my brothers brains fly out. When your little it sounds cool. When your mother threatens to knock your brain out you dare her. But this…this was real. It was gray and slimy. I watched the life slip from his still open eyes and I looked at him. His brain was on the ground and leaking out the hole in his head. His blood was all over me, as was his exploded brain!

"Sirens began to wail and the men split. I began to sob as I hit the ground. I vomited. I threw up all over my brother's corpse and his brain. I heaved every last meal I had eaten in the last three years all over my older brother's actual _brain. _I killed my younger brother all those years ago and now I stood by and watched my older brother die. I was as much a murderer as those men.

"The next thing I remember was mom not getting out of bed and dad driving me to Castle Rock. I remember flashes of the funeral too. Sylvia wasn't there. I try to block it out but I can't!" I finally collapsed into Chris's arms and sobbed hysterically. "It's my fault." I whispered. "My fault he won't turn twenty on February 11th." Once again Chris held me as I sobbed, feeling somewhat better. Like a ten thousand pound weight had been lifted off of my body. Like for the first time in over half a year I could breath.

******REGGIE******

"Why are you hanging with Duchamp?" Ace asked. Taking a swig of a beer. We were sitting in the front steps and in the distance I could hear some girl sobbing. Probably a slutty bitch whose boyfriend broke up with her.

"He's a friend." I muttered, taking a long gulp.

"Friend my ass." He said sharply. "I demand you stop seeing him."

"And I demand you stop being such a royal jack ass!" I stood to leave but he stood too, pinning me to the wall.

"Why did you dress like such a whore tonight?"

"For you!"

"Liar!" he slapped me with a free hand. "You lying little bitch!"

"Ace your drunk. Go home." I hoped he would listen to me. A drunken Ace had no qualms about even killing someone after throwing back a couple cold ones.

"I'm tired of being told what to do by you!" he punched me this time. His fish landed in my stomach and I doubled over. He began kicking the crap out of me. I couldn't stop him so I let him. I let all six foot five, two hundred pounds, of angry drunk man wail on me. He ripped my dress. Pulled my hair. And yanked off my necklace. Finally he got bored and stumbled home. I watched him leave with chunks of my hair and dress in one hand and his un-spilt beer in the other.

"Reggie?" Teddy's voice lifted me up off the ground. Weakly I looked up at him and smiled. Trying to pull myself into a sitting position I patted the ground next to me.

"Hey. Pop a squat Duchamp."

"You're bleeding! What the fuck! Who the hell did this to you?"

"My ex boyfriend Zachary Merrill." I muttered falling into his arms.

"Zachary? Really?"

"Yeah." I laughed. "Spread the word. Let it burn him like wildfire."

"Are you okay?" I looked at him. He had concern dripping from his eyes and he was holding me close. I thought about it for a second then I rammed my lips on to his. He was stunned momentarily before kissing back with twice the greed and hunger I had. I had known of him for years, I had known him for a mere two months; I had loved him for weeks. Wrapping my body around his, we kissed harder until we were both gasping for air.

"I'm going to take that as a yes, you are okay." He panted.

"Fine." I kissed him again and he kissed my neck. I moaned as he hit my sweet spot, right in front of my ear. We jammed our moths together again and went at it like animal on the fucking discovery channel. If it didn't feel so right with him I would have been ashamed of my actions.

With Ace it was meaningless make outs and sex he pressured me into. With Teddy I could feel something. Not meaning to sound like a cheesy romance novel but I felt sparks…electricity. I never felt that in all the time I was with Ace. When we stopped for an air break I leaned up against him and sighed.

"I think I love you, Theodore."

"I know I love you Regina." I laughed and I played with the buttons on his shirt.

A little while later Gordie and Hannah came walking out. They stopped and looked at Teddy and I wrapped up with each other on the front steps of the school.

"Holy. Shit." Gordie mumbled. "I'm going to take Hannah home then we are going to talk about this horror film scene here." We laughed, drunken with passion.

A little over an hour later Vern, Gordie, Chris, Teddy, Sadie and I sat in the bed of Chris's truck. Sadie looked like she had been crying and was sitting in Chris's lap. I sat in between Teddy's legs with him gently playing with my hair and me with a black eye and busted lip. Gordie seemed confused as he looked between the two spectacles and Vern was so sweetly oblivious to it all.

"Aren't the stars beautiful?" He sighed dreamily.

"Yeah. Sure, Vern." Chris humored him, gently rocking Sadie. I would ask her what was wrong later.

"Everyone have a good time?" Sadie asked with bitterness dripping from her tone.

"The best!" Vern raved.

"Hannah seemed to enjoy herself." Gordie added logically.

"The last half was kick ass." I put in, I heard Teddy laugh and kiss my head.

"My night couldn't get any better." He said. Only Chris and Sadie didn't say anything but that was alright because they seemed to be better. I watched the way he looked at her and it was nothing other than love and she held onto him tighter than I had ever seen. I was thrilled that they were happy.

None of us spoke for a minute. We just looked to the stars. It was after a little bit that Teddy came up with something.

"What ever happened to dancing at dances?" no one responded because no one had an answer. Maybe that was best.


	15. Winter Fun

******Glad you liked the last chapter. Sorry for the slow update. Been packing for my three week trip down to Georgia. I leave Sunday so after that updates will be **_**really **_**slow. Sorry!******

The weeks after the dance passed with relieving speed. Before we knew it, it was December 20th. The first day of Winter Break. The six of us sat up in the tree house both freezing our asses off and trying to wiggle to a comfortable position.

"God." Reggie complained, sitting on Teddy's lap with her legs weaving with Sadie's from where we sat next to Vern. "We need a new hang out."

"I second that motion." Gordie added from his position on a crate between Vern and I. I looked out the window and saw the first flakes of winter fall from the pale gray clouds.

"Guys! It's snowing!" Sadie stood up in the small area, causing everyone to yell at her momentarily, and leaned her head out the window. She looked up at the sky and wrinkled up her nose as the cold water hit her face.

"Sadie! No one cares if it's snowing. Sit back down." Reggie pulled on her jacket and yanked me back inside.

"Fine. I'm going outside." Sadie stated, pulling up her hood and the trapdoor. It began to snow harder as she descended the ladder.

"Damn it." Reggie mumbled pulling up the zipper on her jacket. She followed Sadie down into the fresh snow. We all looked at them through the windows. Sadie was pushing Reggie onto the ground and Reggie was throwing handfuls of fresh powder at Sadie. They were giggling as girls do and they started to spin in the downfall. I laughed as I watched them play like children. The wind blew and a sudden chill hit the afternoon. Reggie's scarf fell off and the wind blew Sadie's hood right off her head. I was half tempted to call them back up before they both were sneezing and coughing up their lungs. That was before a perfectly formed snowball landed smack on my face. Three other snow chunks slapped Vern, Teddy, and Gordie as well. I wiped off the icy sphere and saw Sadie and Reggie smiling maniacally with snow on their mittens.

"No way." Teddy muttered pulling on his hat and diving down the ladder. I watched him tackle Reggie into the snow. After Sadie threw more snow bombs at us Gordie, Vern, and I shot down the ladder and into the winter wonderland.

Vern and Teddy were sword fighting with icicles, Gordie and Sadie were making snow angels, Reggie came up to me and threw snow directly in my face. Point blank range. I was starting to hate the snow…

"Chris!" I spun around to see Sadie pouting in the snow. "I'm going to kick your best friend's ass."

"Why is that?" I had to laugh as she looked like a perfect angel with her hood up around her and snow clinging to her eyes lashes.

"He fucked with my angel!" She stood up to prove her point. The border was smeared into the rest of the snow and her angel had been decapitated. Next to her sat Gordie rolling in the snow with laughter.

"Go for it." I shrugged. When I looked around I saw Teddy and Vern making snow blocks, which was still difficult as there was still only minimal snow.

"Igloo." Vern explained proudly. I rolled my eyes and sat down in the snow, trying to wait for them to get bored. I was never one for damp coldness. A couple of ball freezing minutes later Sadie came to sit down next to me. She snuggled up to me and put her head on my shoulder. Over the last few months we hadn't officially proclaimed our relationship, we just were Chris and Sadie automatically. No boyfriend girlfriend titles. Just Chris and Sadie. It was like nothing had really changed in our motley crew, just that Sadie and I were physically closer to each other.

"Hey." She whispered. "You okay?"

"I lost the ability to have children ten minutes ago."

"Bummer." She laughed. "Let's go, then." She took my hand and pulled me out of the snow. Walking hand in hand we drifted down to the diner. We both ordered hot chocolates and sat in a comfortable silence.

"So what are you doing for Christmas?" she asked, wiping whipped cream from her nose.

"What is this Christmas you speak of?" I half joked.

"The magically lame holiday that enforces gift giving and receiving."

"Sounds like fun." I mumbled watching her stir her frothy concoction. "I'll probably just attempt to sleep in and try to be invisible."

"Nice. Reggie is going out of town with Genny and her mom on the 23rd. Teddy has cousins staying with him. Vern is also laving. So it's just the two of us."

"Won't you be with Sylvia and Mark?"

"I suppose. I will try and call my mom or dad to see if they pick up…" her voice trailed off and once again I wondered what was worse. Your dad beating the shit out of you or your dad pushing you off on your sister because he couldn't stand to look at you.

"Sounds good." I muttered paying the check and standing to leave. She smiled lightly up at me and followed me out the door. The snow was falling even harder now and it was beginning to accumulate more on the ground. We walked quietly on the street feeling the freezing crystals land on our faces. She seemed to love the winter, I couldn't stand it.

"Ace." She mumbled. I looked over to see Ace glowering at us from inside his car. The second I spotted him he revved the engine and sped off Ever since Reggie quite publicly broke up with him sometime after the dance he had it in for us…all of us.

"Now you see him, now you don't."

"Let's keep it that way."

"You're house?" I asked, already knowing the answer. She simply nodded and said no more until we entered her house. The warmth hit me like a brick wall and I nearly moaned.

"Sylvia! Mark!" for being so small the girl sure had a set of lungs on her. We shed out of our winter skins and slipped into the kitchen. "Mark? Sylvia?" she yelled again. This time Mark appeared and entered the kitchen as well.

"Damn girl. People in Missouri can hear you." He had the remote in one hand and a notebook in the other.

"Sorry, Mark. Is my sister home?"

"No she's out with a girlfriend. Just the two of us tonight." The way he smiled at her frightened me more than a little. I slipped my arm around her waist and pulled her close to me.

"Okay."

"Looks like it's going to be the two of us for a little bit, you not being in school and all."

"Yeah." She looked to the ground. "Chris and I are going to go up to my room." Mark's smile faded and he turned his dour look upon me.

"Keep the door open."

We rushed up the stairs and quietly closed the door, knowing he wouldn't be up to check.

"My sister's husband creeps me out." She stated throwing herself on the bed.

"You and me both." I sat on the edge of the bed.

"At least Sylvia will be home later." She said, her voice muffled from her pillow.

"I suppose." We talked a little while longer until the clock read seven. I pried open the window and used the tree to get down.

"Lock your door tonight." I yelled from the ground.

"And obviously my window." She laughed, closing the window.

******Okay. Just a light easy chapter after the last one. Hope you enjoyed it.******


	16. Merry Christmas

******Hello. :-) So I am glad you are liking the story so much. I sincerely appreciate all the lovely reviews. I still can't manage owning anything other than my OC's.******

******SADIE******

Christmas morning. I sat awake in my bed at six thirty in the morning. The sky was still dark, the air still freezing, the silence still screaming. Cross-legged I sat on the couch with the blanket Reggie made me around my shoulders. The Christmas tree was glowing brightly like a million fanciful jewels. Long ago Christmas was a much loved holiday. Sylvia would wake up the earliest. She would creep into my room and shove me awake. From there we would pluck young baby Spencer from his crib and we would tip-toe to Steven's room. Together the four of us would check to see if 'Santa' had eaten his cookies and his luke warm milk, push away all the presents, and lie down under the tree and watch the lights twinkle like colorful stars. None of us spoke. Even two year old Spencer didn't utter a word as he lay in between Steven and I.

Then what seemed like hours later Mom and Dad would come down in there robes and watch us tear apart the shiny metallic paper reviling our brand new toys and knick knacks. Smiling at my own nostalgia I wrapped the crocheted blanket tighter around me and yawned. I was tired but I couldn't bring myself to go back upstairs and sleep.

"Good morning, Sadie." I looked to the stairs and saw Sylvia coming down the stairs.

"Morning." I stifled another yawn. Sylvia sat down next to me and curled her legs under her.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No. Because of you sleeping past six on December 25th is near impossible." Thankfully she laughed and placed a hand on my knee.

"So Chris has been coming over a lot." She noted nonchalantly. I was wonder if she was thinking of our brothers as well.

"Yeah. I guess he has."

"You two are cute together. I always did like him. He tries his best in the college courses and I admire that about him."

"Good. He really does study harder than anyone I know."

"You're a good influence on him."

"He would be doing it on his own even if I wasn't here. He has Gordie as well." I had no reason to believe I was the reason his success.

"Gordie is one of my best minds. Always thinking."

"Yeah. It gets annoying after awhile." She laughed again.

"When will Mark be awake?"

"Soon. He was already coming around when I left the room."

"Okay." I looked at the gleaming tree and held the memories at bay.

******REGGIE******

"Reggie! Reggie!" Genny's small voice shook me from my magical dreamland. I rose from the bed Genny and I shared at Aunt Clarissa's house. Mom stayed in the room across the hall.

"Genny, honey. It's really early." I glanced over at the clock. 6:37 Christmas morning.

"I know! Santa came! Santa came!" she leaped off the bed and yanked my arm nearly out of its socket. Downstairs Jacob sat rattling boxes. Jacob was seven and always pushing Genny around, I didn't much care for my aunt's son.

"These are for me!" he stated snobbishly.

"I'm sure some are for your mom and dad and for aunt Daphnia and for Genny and even for me." I retorted gently.

"Nu-uh! All mine." I saw Genny's lip quiver and I quickly scanned the mountain of glittery packages for her name. Finding a good sized box dawning cute snowman paper with her name on it I handed it to the shattered little girl.

"Here sweetheart. This one's for you."

"Thank you." She sniffed. Before she could open it my mother came down the stairs.

"Aunt Daphnia!" Jacob cried. "Merry Christmas!" I saw my mother coming down the stairs in her Christmas dress and her make up perfectly applied. 6:40 in the morning and she looked runway ready.

"Merry Christmas, Jacob. Good morning Genny." She blatantly ignored me, still bitter over our custody battle last night. I stood my ground, convinced that Cassie had left us for good and Mom should adopt Genny. My mother was still pretending that Cassie would come home as well as my father. It was like living with a stubborn 13 year old girl sometimes. I couldn't open her eyes to the truth. She sat down on the couch and we waited for Clarissa and Evan to make an appearance.

When they did twenty minutes later Clarissa was dressed and ready for the day as was Evan. I looked down at my own cotton night gown and felt quite underdressed.

"Good morning my lovely family!" Clarissa greeted with a showy wave of her arms.

"Merry Christmas!" Evan chanted. I rolled my eyes at how fake my family was.

"Mommy." Jacob started with his sugar sweet angel voice that I detested so much. "May we pretty please open presents now?"

"Yes, yes of course. Go wild!" she laughed. When she laughed she possessed that very standard Hollywood girl laugh. The one that sounds like the tinkling of little bells. God damn it…

The two children started to plow through the presents, squealing when they found a tag with their name on it and throwing aside the other persons gift. It was a humorous site to watch such animalistic behavior in children. Every now and then they would rise from the sea of presents holding a prize and showing off for their audience.

"Such a shame about Cassie." I heard Clarissa mutter to me.

"I guess."

"Poor Genny too."

"Genny is fine." I stated sharply.

"But without a mother." She sighed clucking her tongue.

"Cassie would suck as a mother." I snapped, offended that mother didn't tell her how I was raising Genny while she sat back and mourned for her husband and daughter.

"Such foul langue for a child." Another disapproving cluck of the tongue.

"Child?" my voice rose a tad more than I had intended. "I'm nearly 17."

"So young." She mumbled with false remorse. I rolled my eyes nearly back in my head and moved across the room. It was going to be a long day…

******TEDDY******

"Theodore! Get up! It's time for presents!" I was startled by my Aunt's voice. Looking at my watch it was nearing seven thirty. I was surprised they had waited this long. Going down stairs to our weak tree and amazing amount of fifteen presents I saw Johnny, Jillian, Jack, Jerry, and Jana sitting all lined up in front of the tree. Aunt Debbie and Uncle Stewart were placed on the couch and my mom was rocking subtly in the chair. Jerrod, who was the same age as myself, was leaning up against the wall watching the younger kids sit anxiously by the tree.

"I'm here." I mumbled, still pulling a shirt over my head. God I hated how everyone seemed to just fucking love the fact that it was before noon on a Saturday. I didn't care what holiday it was, I was meant to be in bed on Saturday mornings! "Merry freakin' Christmas." As if that was the cue they all were waiting for my five younger cousin's ages 2 to 13 dove at the tree. No presents for the adults and one a piece for Jerrod and me. The little kids got two or three because they still needed to believe.

"What a bust." Jerrod grumbled.

"Preaching to the choir." I muttered back. Jerrod and I were always the closest of the family. I was three weeks his senior and he used to live in Castle Rock before Jerry and Jana were born. After they came into the world my aunt and uncle needed a bigger house to squeeze six kids, three cats, four gerbils, and a dog into.

"Remember when it was just us?" he laughed.

"Spoiled rotten." I cackled. It was true. Back before Johnny graced our lives 13 years ago, Jerrod and I were the golden pedestal children. Mom and her sister Debbie were always tight and back before dad was totally off the wall insane we would have play dates a lot. Then dad flew off the handle and Debbie was afraid to bring her young son over...we just kinda drifted until dad was sent to Togus.

"Ah those were the days." He sighed.

"At least you have brothers and sisters. I got no one to piss off and fight with." I chortled.

"Ya want one? I even have a sale going on right now. Buy one get four free." He laughed.

"Teddy." Mom's gentle voice interrupted my snappy comeback. "Come sit down." She patted the seat next to her and I awkwardly sat. Mom was so small I was afraid I was going to break her. When I was younger she seemed so tall, so strong. Now she was frail and small, like the smallest wind was going to blow her away.

"Hi, mom." I said gently, holding back a yawn.

"Hi, dear. Do you work tonight?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry, ma."

"It's okay." She reached up and kissed my temple. "I'm proud of you son."

"Thanks mom." I placed my arm around her small shoulders and kissed the top of her graying head. I watched my family talk and goof around and somehow I knew that no matter how little I had, no matter where we came from, no matter how insane some of us were, we would always have one another.

******VERN******

Seven thirty in the morning and my family had already torn any scrap of wrapping paper to shreds. My nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family members all sat in grandma and grandpa's house. We had already devoured breakfast and we now sat in the living room in a sea of sparkly paper and new toys. Even my older brother Billy seemed to be having a good time with his new guitar uncle Red had given him. The children played loudly and the adults talked quietly. I sat on the stairs with my 17 year old cousin Samantha.

"Crazy holiday." She laughed.

"Always is. Though it is fun."

"Damn big family. Who knew the Tessio's would breed so much."

"How many kids are there?"

"I can't count." She laughed, struggling to put her new bow in her hair. "They keep wiggling."

"I counted at least fifteen underneath the age of twelve. Above twelve I think above there are six of us."

"Ever heard of birth control."

"Gotta love it though." I said, opening my seven year old nephew's new pair of spy binoculars.

"So is there a girl waiting for you back home?"

"Maybe." I stated ominously.

"Come on Vern." She lightly punched my arm. "I know you better than that."

"Yeah. Name's Rita."

"Ahhh. Little Verny is getting some tail." I howled with laughter at this.

"Not yet. Purity ring she wears is a pretty big cock block."

"Bummer man." We talked a little more and waited for the party to wind down. Soon individual families faded off and Samantha left. Around noon it was just Billy, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and I in the small house. The silence was scary as it loomed all around. The only sound was Billy's slightly out of tune guitar and Grandpa's snore from his afternoon nap in the recliner. I smiled to myself as I picked up the last shred of paper. I loved big families.

******CHRIS******

Twelve thirty and dad still hadn't come out of his room. I was studying in the living room, trying my damndest to blend in with the couch fabric. It was Christmas morning and there were no presents, no tree, and no decorations. There was also no sign of my father. Quietly I closed my book and put on my winter shell. Being outside in the cold was better than being in here with dread. Families were out mulling about and just playing in the snow. I walked around for a little bit before running into a bundled up Sadie.

"Hi, Chris." She said happily.

"Hey, Sadie. What's up?"

"Chilling out. I got you something."

"Really now?" I hope she didn't notice how surprised I sounded.

"Yeah come to the tree house." She took my hand and pulled me along all the way to the house.

"Alright. What now?" I sat on the crate and she sat across from me. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to me. Unfolding it I saw a well illustrated picture of Gordie, Vern, Teddy, and I. It was amazing, utterly breath taking.

"I didn't know you could draw." I looked down at the picture. Every hair on our heads was pictured, shadows and wrinkles in the shirts and even Teddy's bad ear was detailed perfectly.

"It doesn't come up often." Her cheeks were red, rather from the wind or a slight blush I didn't know.

"It's amazing. Thank you." I could practically feel our four separate personalities dripping from the page. I could see Vern's innocence, Teddy's quirkiness, Gordie's thoughtfulness, and my own steel edge. She captured us expertly.

"You like it? I couldn't afford anything and I didn't know what you wanted so I just- " I cut her off with my mouth on hers. She automatically kissed back and our mouths moved together fluidly. I parted her lips gently with my tongue and she allowed it. It was our first real kiss and it came perfectly. Maybe there was a Santa…


End file.
